Maximizing the Capacity to Compete

Many in the world of professional sports note that players’ mere capacity to compete is often the best trait they can possess. Brett Walker (’03, ’04, ’13), Major League Baseball (MLB) physical therapist and athletic trainer, works to ensure that every Chicago White Sox player in the franchise’s system maximizes that capacity. In the MLB, the 162-game season and taxing travel schedule takes its toll on players’ physical health. Walker, through an attitude of service, care, and community, oversees his players’ well-being throughout the exhausting competitive season.

Walker grew up in Culbertson, Montana, as the only boy in a family of four siblings. He often followed his sisters’ direction, and, after taking an interest in athletic training and physical therapy, found his way to the University of Mary, following his oldest sister, Karmen (’99). He completed his first two degrees (’03, ’04) and before too long, he found himself entering the world of sports rehabilitation and performance. He finished a sports residency program in Boise, Idaho, in 2009, and he became a Board Certified Sports Physical Therapist in 2010.

This landed him a job with the White Sox’s rookie-ball team in Great Falls, Montana, which allowed Walker to continue the pursuit of working in professional baseball. He completed an internship with the Minnesota Twins and returned to the University of Mary for a master’s degree in athletic training (’14), and shortly after, Walker began working as the first full-time physical therapist hired by the Chicago White Sox.

Today, Walker has helped cement the Chicago White Sox organization as one of the premier professional sports franchises for physical therapy and athletic training. In fact, in 2018, the MLB named Walker and his colleagues the Athletic Training Staff of the Year. Accolades are great, but Walker continues serving this organization because of a broader commitment to the players and the Benedictine values instilled in him at the University of Mary.

In addition, seeing the sacrifice and dedication his players make throughout the difficult playing season inspires Walker to foster a similar attitude of sacrifice and dedication. “Every day,” Walker says, “I witness the work and determination our guys put in and the mental toughness it takes to perform at such a high level.” At the same time, the Chicago White Sox players are not Walker’s only source of inspiration. “I had a strong foundation rooted in the Bible,” he says, and the University of Mary’s “Benedictine values helped me gain a better perspective of other people’s values.”

The MLB season is not only busy for players; it’s challenging for coaches and staff, too. Walker, proud husband and father of two children, makes sure to prioritize his family, even during the hectic baseball season. Because Walker is often working at the field from midday until late into the night, he takes advantage of the mornings and prioritizes it as family time. Through this dedication he shows to his family and organization, Walker is a tremendous example of service and humility.