Writing is my passion...
It is my main outlet for my storytelling. I have covered a broad range of topics such as tanning bed health concerns, the job of exterminators and the lives of handicapped workers at CMSE, a sheltered workshop in Columbia, Mo. My long form narratives have appeared in VOX Magazine and the Columbia Missourian. Here is a sample of my writing. This story profiles Rex Sharp, the University of Missouri's head athletic trainer.
By Austin Fax
With snow falling outside the Glenn L. McElroy Sports Medicine Center, a score of trainers work under the watchful eye of Rex Sharp. Sharp, the assistant athletic director of sports medicine at the University of Missouri,
Sharp’s office is in pristine order. Surrounded by multiple commemorative plaques and awards, his desk contains stacks of paperwork that he must deal with before the day is done. The paperwork is part of Sharp’s administrative duties. But his job consists of much more than sitting in an office all day. He leads a fast paced, well-organized unit of young trainers who are responsible for keeping the athletes that faithful Mizzou fans know and love on the field. This job is the pinnacle of Sharp’s long journey to Columbia.
Growing up in a small town in southern Indiana, Sharp found a passion for sports at a young age. A three-sport athlete in high school, he looked for ways to stay involved with athletics at the next level.
Ball State University was his logical choice for college because of its reputation in the sports medicine field and its proximity to his hometown. From there, Sharp took a high school trainer job in New Albany, Indiana. It provided him the opportunity to work hands on with young athletes, but also required teaching classes.
Not knowing exactly what he wanted out of the sports medicine field, Sharp quickly grew to dislike everything associated with being a teacher. He knew he had to go back to school if he wanted to move up in the ranks of the athletic training world. Little did he know what awaited him in the Keeweenaw Peninsula of northern Michigan.
While a graduate student at Michigan Tech, Sharp was thrown into a situation, the likes of which he had never seen. As a graduate assistant, his job was filled with long hours and unfamiliar faces. Sharp estimates that the majority of players he dealt with were hockey players of Canadian descent, a sharp contrast to the cities he called home back in Indiana. In his first year in the program, Sharp remembers getting around 360 inches of snow.
His method of transportation at Michigan Tech consisted of a station wagon, which he drove with two other student trainers. Long drives to the lower section of Michigan tested not only his stamina, but also his determination in his craft. Saturdays, he worked the football games all day before hopping in the station wagon to head off to road hockey matches slated for Sundays.
Sharp credits the sink or swim situation he was put in as the chance he needed to gain valuable experience in the field. The head athletic trainer rarely made road trips with the hockey team, so those responsibilities fell on Sharp’s shoulders.
“I was on my own most of the time. Man, what an opportunity! Little do you know what you don’t know until you’re put in those situations,” Sharp says with a chuckle.
Fresh out of Michigan Tech, Sharp got his first big break when he was offered a head athletic trainer position at a college. In the miniscule town of Kirksville, Mo., Ken Gardner hired Sharp at Northeastern Missouri State (now Truman State). The sports medicine program was at its very beginning and Sharp was Gardner’s first hire. He recalls the moment he walked into his office in Kirksville.
“I had a filing cabinet and a telephone. That was it!”
At was at this moment that Sharp began building the sports medicine program from the ground up. He attempted to surround himself with people who shared his interest in people and his work ethic. The hard work eventually paid off after two years, when he was offered a job back at his alma mater, Ball State. Sharp notes his progression in athletic training with the upgraded forms of transportation.
“(In Kirksville), we had a bus and two vans. So, it was an upgrade (from Michigan Tech). The van took our student trainer and the backup quarterback. At Ball State, we had two busses. Now, at Mizzou, we fly everywhere.”
After 11 years at Ball State, Sharp was offered his first job at a Division 1 gig at University of Missouri. Returning to Missouri, Sharp found himself in a distinctly different situation than he had in Kirksville. He now had the responsibility of running a large-scale sports medicine department filled with bright-eyed younger trainers.
In his 15th year in Columbia, Sharp stays true to his namesake. He still doesn’t miss a beat.
“It’s fun to come to work everyday. It’s a laugh a minute here.”
Casey Hairston, an assistant athletic trainer, says laughter is definitely not hard to come by in the building when Sharp is around. Hairston learned early of Sharp’s propensity to wittiness.
“You definitely don’t want to be ‘Rexed.’ We really need a microphone on him sometimes. It’s hilarious.” Hairston says as he shakes his head with a grin.
When someone is ‘Rexed,’ generally they have made a less than intelligible comment, to which Sharp responds with a pointed bit of humor.
Fellow trainer Steve Kinderknecht’s favorite ‘Rexisms’ are directed at athletes who seem to take diagnosis too much into their own hands. He recalls numerous injured athletes who try to explain their situation to Sharp.
“Players come in telling us they ‘thought’ they could play.” Kinderknecht says. Sharp’s response? “Every time you think, you hurt the program.” It cracks Kinderknecht up every time.
Intern Blake Whitney recalls one of Sharp’s funnier moments during a football practice this past summer. As Whitney tells it, two student athletes were playing catch in the middle of the practice field. Sharp was tending to work along the far sideline when one of the players let a ball fly in Sharp’s direction. The player must have severely miscalculated his target. The next thing Sharp knew, he was struck by the football.
“Don’t worry, we will try to widen the field next time, so this doesn’t happen again.” Yet another victim was ‘Rexed’ at practice.
The trainers also describe Sharp as ‘quirky.’ He rarely wears new clothes and you will never find him wearing any memorabilia from a Mizzou loss, especially clothing from the Insight Bowl. Sharp’s memory is impeccable. Hairston can think of many times where Sharp remembered a name, when Hairston couldn’t even remember ever meeting the person.
Sharp also has a rather unusual diet. His favorite food is chips and salsa at away games and he requires a Mountain Dew every day to do his job.
“At around 11:15 everyday, he goes and gets a Mountain Dew from Hyvee.” Whitney says. Sharp is rather particular about his favorite beverage. Whitney remembers Sharp’s response to being handed a beverage from a local gas station.
“This isn’t as good. Hyvee is better than Shell because the syrup is better.”
Regardless of Sharp’s odd diet, he still manages to keep himself in excellent shape. Every morning, he can be found riding a stationary bike or exercising to keep his body at its peak levels.
According to Kinderknecht, Sharp is also very particular about his athletic tape. Before every game, the trainers are responsible for taping the ankles of football players. Before the Nebraska game in 2008, Sharp received a shipment of tape that had been crushed. After examining his situation, Sharp proceeded to scatter the room with the defective tape. The moment was a cause for laughter for everyone involved.
“That’s just him!” Kinderknecht says.
But Sharp is not simply a quirky comedian. He is also very family oriented, which is a quality he hopes carries over to his job.
“Rex is a person who is always going to be there for you, if you need someone to listen. He cares about all the athletes and all the families.” Hairston says. Hairston believes Sharp is even like a father figure to some of the players.
Having a wife of 25 years, Eileen, and three children, Audrey, Jered, and Adam, Sharp has no problems relating to the families of injured athletes. His daughter is a sophomore volleyball player at Westminster College in Fulton, Mo.
Sharp cites his ability to bond with families and players, mixed with his work ethic and passion for sports medicine as reasons for his success. He puts in long hours, often 12 or more a day, to make sure everything runs smoothly. And he has the opportunity to call former Mizzou superstars such as Chase Daniel, Danario Alexander, and Jeremy Maclin his friends, even though Sharp says he treats everyone as if they are superstar caliber.
He knows he has come a long way since his trying experiences at Michigan Tech, but Sharp has loved athletic training every step of the way. With his past in mind, Sharp knows he will continue building bonds with athletes to ensure everyone has a good experience with Mizzou athletics. Because, after all, this is what Rex Sharp values most in his life.
By Austin Fax
With snow falling outside the Glenn L. McElroy Sports Medicine Center, a score of trainers work under the watchful eye of Rex Sharp. Sharp, the assistant athletic director of sports medicine at the University of Missouri,
Sharp’s office is in pristine order. Surrounded by multiple commemorative plaques and awards, his desk contains stacks of paperwork that he must deal with before the day is done. The paperwork is part of Sharp’s administrative duties. But his job consists of much more than sitting in an office all day. He leads a fast paced, well-organized unit of young trainers who are responsible for keeping the athletes that faithful Mizzou fans know and love on the field. This job is the pinnacle of Sharp’s long journey to Columbia.
Growing up in a small town in southern Indiana, Sharp found a passion for sports at a young age. A three-sport athlete in high school, he looked for ways to stay involved with athletics at the next level.
Ball State University was his logical choice for college because of its reputation in the sports medicine field and its proximity to his hometown. From there, Sharp took a high school trainer job in New Albany, Indiana. It provided him the opportunity to work hands on with young athletes, but also required teaching classes.
Not knowing exactly what he wanted out of the sports medicine field, Sharp quickly grew to dislike everything associated with being a teacher. He knew he had to go back to school if he wanted to move up in the ranks of the athletic training world. Little did he know what awaited him in the Keeweenaw Peninsula of northern Michigan.
While a graduate student at Michigan Tech, Sharp was thrown into a situation, the likes of which he had never seen. As a graduate assistant, his job was filled with long hours and unfamiliar faces. Sharp estimates that the majority of players he dealt with were hockey players of Canadian descent, a sharp contrast to the cities he called home back in Indiana. In his first year in the program, Sharp remembers getting around 360 inches of snow.
His method of transportation at Michigan Tech consisted of a station wagon, which he drove with two other student trainers. Long drives to the lower section of Michigan tested not only his stamina, but also his determination in his craft. Saturdays, he worked the football games all day before hopping in the station wagon to head off to road hockey matches slated for Sundays.
Sharp credits the sink or swim situation he was put in as the chance he needed to gain valuable experience in the field. The head athletic trainer rarely made road trips with the hockey team, so those responsibilities fell on Sharp’s shoulders.
“I was on my own most of the time. Man, what an opportunity! Little do you know what you don’t know until you’re put in those situations,” Sharp says with a chuckle.
Fresh out of Michigan Tech, Sharp got his first big break when he was offered a head athletic trainer position at a college. In the miniscule town of Kirksville, Mo., Ken Gardner hired Sharp at Northeastern Missouri State (now Truman State). The sports medicine program was at its very beginning and Sharp was Gardner’s first hire. He recalls the moment he walked into his office in Kirksville.
“I had a filing cabinet and a telephone. That was it!”
At was at this moment that Sharp began building the sports medicine program from the ground up. He attempted to surround himself with people who shared his interest in people and his work ethic. The hard work eventually paid off after two years, when he was offered a job back at his alma mater, Ball State. Sharp notes his progression in athletic training with the upgraded forms of transportation.
“(In Kirksville), we had a bus and two vans. So, it was an upgrade (from Michigan Tech). The van took our student trainer and the backup quarterback. At Ball State, we had two busses. Now, at Mizzou, we fly everywhere.”
After 11 years at Ball State, Sharp was offered his first job at a Division 1 gig at University of Missouri. Returning to Missouri, Sharp found himself in a distinctly different situation than he had in Kirksville. He now had the responsibility of running a large-scale sports medicine department filled with bright-eyed younger trainers.
In his 15th year in Columbia, Sharp stays true to his namesake. He still doesn’t miss a beat.
“It’s fun to come to work everyday. It’s a laugh a minute here.”
Casey Hairston, an assistant athletic trainer, says laughter is definitely not hard to come by in the building when Sharp is around. Hairston learned early of Sharp’s propensity to wittiness.
“You definitely don’t want to be ‘Rexed.’ We really need a microphone on him sometimes. It’s hilarious.” Hairston says as he shakes his head with a grin.
When someone is ‘Rexed,’ generally they have made a less than intelligible comment, to which Sharp responds with a pointed bit of humor.
Fellow trainer Steve Kinderknecht’s favorite ‘Rexisms’ are directed at athletes who seem to take diagnosis too much into their own hands. He recalls numerous injured athletes who try to explain their situation to Sharp.
“Players come in telling us they ‘thought’ they could play.” Kinderknecht says. Sharp’s response? “Every time you think, you hurt the program.” It cracks Kinderknecht up every time.
Intern Blake Whitney recalls one of Sharp’s funnier moments during a football practice this past summer. As Whitney tells it, two student athletes were playing catch in the middle of the practice field. Sharp was tending to work along the far sideline when one of the players let a ball fly in Sharp’s direction. The player must have severely miscalculated his target. The next thing Sharp knew, he was struck by the football.
“Don’t worry, we will try to widen the field next time, so this doesn’t happen again.” Yet another victim was ‘Rexed’ at practice.
The trainers also describe Sharp as ‘quirky.’ He rarely wears new clothes and you will never find him wearing any memorabilia from a Mizzou loss, especially clothing from the Insight Bowl. Sharp’s memory is impeccable. Hairston can think of many times where Sharp remembered a name, when Hairston couldn’t even remember ever meeting the person.
Sharp also has a rather unusual diet. His favorite food is chips and salsa at away games and he requires a Mountain Dew every day to do his job.
“At around 11:15 everyday, he goes and gets a Mountain Dew from Hyvee.” Whitney says. Sharp is rather particular about his favorite beverage. Whitney remembers Sharp’s response to being handed a beverage from a local gas station.
“This isn’t as good. Hyvee is better than Shell because the syrup is better.”
Regardless of Sharp’s odd diet, he still manages to keep himself in excellent shape. Every morning, he can be found riding a stationary bike or exercising to keep his body at its peak levels.
According to Kinderknecht, Sharp is also very particular about his athletic tape. Before every game, the trainers are responsible for taping the ankles of football players. Before the Nebraska game in 2008, Sharp received a shipment of tape that had been crushed. After examining his situation, Sharp proceeded to scatter the room with the defective tape. The moment was a cause for laughter for everyone involved.
“That’s just him!” Kinderknecht says.
But Sharp is not simply a quirky comedian. He is also very family oriented, which is a quality he hopes carries over to his job.
“Rex is a person who is always going to be there for you, if you need someone to listen. He cares about all the athletes and all the families.” Hairston says. Hairston believes Sharp is even like a father figure to some of the players.
Having a wife of 25 years, Eileen, and three children, Audrey, Jered, and Adam, Sharp has no problems relating to the families of injured athletes. His daughter is a sophomore volleyball player at Westminster College in Fulton, Mo.
Sharp cites his ability to bond with families and players, mixed with his work ethic and passion for sports medicine as reasons for his success. He puts in long hours, often 12 or more a day, to make sure everything runs smoothly. And he has the opportunity to call former Mizzou superstars such as Chase Daniel, Danario Alexander, and Jeremy Maclin his friends, even though Sharp says he treats everyone as if they are superstar caliber.
He knows he has come a long way since his trying experiences at Michigan Tech, but Sharp has loved athletic training every step of the way. With his past in mind, Sharp knows he will continue building bonds with athletes to ensure everyone has a good experience with Mizzou athletics. Because, after all, this is what Rex Sharp values most in his life.