Transformation of Goals and Ideas
The First Step
What most people don’t realize about college football coaching is that their level of education is a major indicator of qualifications for jobs. Most people do not know that full-time positions in the world of college football are mostly give to coaches who have acquired a master’s degree. This is one of the main reasons I have been working towards my degree since the spring of 2014. So once I began my career as a college football coach, I have had the goals of attaining my degree to make myself eligible for a full time position. With that being the ultimate goal, I have made all my efforts away from the office set to make that come true.
What most people don’t realize about college football coaching is that their level of education is a major indicator of qualifications for jobs. Most people do not know that full-time positions in the world of college football are mostly give to coaches who have acquired a master’s degree. This is one of the main reasons I have been working towards my degree since the spring of 2014. So once I began my career as a college football coach, I have had the goals of attaining my degree to make myself eligible for a full time position. With that being the ultimate goal, I have made all my efforts away from the office set to make that come true.
Guiding Advice
When I first began coaching, I was hired as an unpaid intern and then promoted to a stipend position a few months later I was unable to enroll in a masters program for the fall semester, so I took a semester off from school and planned on enrolling the following spring. During this time I was able to talk to some of the older coaches I was working with to get their advice on what schools I should look at and what degree options would be best for me, so that I could use it somehow. The advice I was given was extremely blunt and to the point. I was told, “It does not matter where the degree comes from, or what it is in. All a head coach wants to see is that you have it. So just get it done as fast as you can so you have it to show that you were able to balance work, recruiting and school.” Once I received that advice, my goal for my master’s degree was to just get it done so I had the degree, but also receive it from an institution with some credibility. So my goal was to get my degree from Michigan State as soon as possible, which would explain why I would be completing everything in four semesters.
When I first began coaching, I was hired as an unpaid intern and then promoted to a stipend position a few months later I was unable to enroll in a masters program for the fall semester, so I took a semester off from school and planned on enrolling the following spring. During this time I was able to talk to some of the older coaches I was working with to get their advice on what schools I should look at and what degree options would be best for me, so that I could use it somehow. The advice I was given was extremely blunt and to the point. I was told, “It does not matter where the degree comes from, or what it is in. All a head coach wants to see is that you have it. So just get it done as fast as you can so you have it to show that you were able to balance work, recruiting and school.” Once I received that advice, my goal for my master’s degree was to just get it done so I had the degree, but also receive it from an institution with some credibility. So my goal was to get my degree from Michigan State as soon as possible, which would explain why I would be completing everything in four semesters.
Finishing Strong
Once I began taking my classes I was able to see my goals change over time. I still had the goal of getting the degree done as soon as I can, but it changed in a way that was deeper than just getting the degree. I found myself wanting to learn more and more about the MAED program especially within my specialization of Sports Leadership and Coaching. The goal changed from just getting it done, to actually focusing in all the courses I was taking to help shape the way I coach, and to also make my elective classes count towards what I am working with each day. I found it more beneficial for me to use my electives to learn about minority education, since a majority of athletes I work with are minority students. So by the time I reached my fourth semester I had changed from just doing the work to get it done, to actually focusing on each course to help me become a better coach.
Once I began taking my classes I was able to see my goals change over time. I still had the goal of getting the degree done as soon as I can, but it changed in a way that was deeper than just getting the degree. I found myself wanting to learn more and more about the MAED program especially within my specialization of Sports Leadership and Coaching. The goal changed from just getting it done, to actually focusing in all the courses I was taking to help shape the way I coach, and to also make my elective classes count towards what I am working with each day. I found it more beneficial for me to use my electives to learn about minority education, since a majority of athletes I work with are minority students. So by the time I reached my fourth semester I had changed from just doing the work to get it done, to actually focusing on each course to help me become a better coach.
The images displayed on this page represent the steps I have taken in my career. The first of me as a player with my coaching mentor Coach Soenksen. The next is me in my first job at MacMurray College. The final is this past season as I served on the same staff as Coach Soenksen.