I have been fortunate to have many opportunities in my life, but one of my first and most valuable experiences was growing up in the world of professional football.
My father, James Walker, played for Derby County in the English Premier League and then coached Aston Villa for 18 years. His career as a player and manager spanned more than 40 years.
As a child, I accompanied my father to training and games and learned from some of the best players in the world.
I even remember as a young boy, only seven or eight years old, meeting my hero, Kenny Dalglish, who was a great football player for Liverpool.
He said hello and patted me on the head and I literally didn’t wash my hair for two weeks because of it.
I also learned some of the behind the scenes logistical aspects of running a team. As a young player at Villa, I got to travel with the Aston Villa first team and we had to help organize the shirts and shine the boots of the first team players. It wasn’t the most pleasant job, but it was all part of the valuable experience.
But besides the excitement of meeting football stars, I was also able to experience first-hand what it takes to make it to the highest level of football.
The professional players’ expectations of their own performance were unmatched. To be that good and to play at that level is not something you get by luck; you earn that place by tireless effort.
The speed of play, the quality of technique and the decision-making ability at an elite level distinguished these players from the rest.
But what impressed me most was her work ethic.
The teams and coaches, like my father, worked hard and made sacrifices every day to play at an elite level.
They respected the responsibilities they had to each other and to themselves.
As I enter my first season as coach at Creighton, I am grateful to be able to carry with me everything I learned from my father and throughout my college career, as success in football relies on many of the same ingredients as success in life.
