Biography
Hello everybody! My name is Derek Parker and I live in Columbia, MO with my wife, Lee Ann, and our two dogs.
I grew up in the very small town of Salisbury, MO where I played football, basketball, baseball, golf, and ran track. As you can see, there was never a season where I wasn't practicing or playing in a game; I loved every second of it!
After graduating from high school I decided that my school affiliated athletic career was over. I could have attended a smaller school to continue playing, but I decided to attend the University of Missouri where I received my Bachelor's in Finance and Banking and Real Estate. It was while I was attending Mizzou that my love of Mizzou sports culminated. I was a marginal fan when I was younger, but it reached an entirely new level when I started to learn about the university's entire athletic history, some of which was good and some of which was bad.
It wasn't until my final undergraduate semester that I figured out I wanted to work in the sports industry; I really don't know why it took me that long since it seems like a no brainer now. In order to break into the sports world I decided to go back to school. I'm currently in my last year at Tiffin University where I should graduate in April 2015 with an MBA in Sports Management. I have enjoyed the experience so far, and I'm looking forward to my internship to gain some valuable insight into the world of collegiate athletics.
I grew up in the very small town of Salisbury, MO where I played football, basketball, baseball, golf, and ran track. As you can see, there was never a season where I wasn't practicing or playing in a game; I loved every second of it!
After graduating from high school I decided that my school affiliated athletic career was over. I could have attended a smaller school to continue playing, but I decided to attend the University of Missouri where I received my Bachelor's in Finance and Banking and Real Estate. It was while I was attending Mizzou that my love of Mizzou sports culminated. I was a marginal fan when I was younger, but it reached an entirely new level when I started to learn about the university's entire athletic history, some of which was good and some of which was bad.
It wasn't until my final undergraduate semester that I figured out I wanted to work in the sports industry; I really don't know why it took me that long since it seems like a no brainer now. In order to break into the sports world I decided to go back to school. I'm currently in my last year at Tiffin University where I should graduate in April 2015 with an MBA in Sports Management. I have enjoyed the experience so far, and I'm looking forward to my internship to gain some valuable insight into the world of collegiate athletics.
Goals
My short-term goal is to obtain a full-time position in either the collegiate or professional sports industry. I am fully aware of the difficulty in getting started in this industry and I want to start as soon as possible. I'm hopeful my internship will lead me on to a position either at Mizzou or another organization.
My long-term goal is to become an Athletic Director at a Division 1 Institution. This is a rather lofty goal, but I have set lofty goals for everything I have ever done so I see no reason to stop now. I know it will take a lot of work, but I'm willing to put in that work to accomplish my goal.
My long-term goal is to become an Athletic Director at a Division 1 Institution. This is a rather lofty goal, but I have set lofty goals for everything I have ever done so I see no reason to stop now. I know it will take a lot of work, but I'm willing to put in that work to accomplish my goal.