Christopher Baggarly

Running his fingers through his strawberry-blonde hair, Christopher Baggarly flashed his trademark grin and pushed his cap back into place. Baggarly hopes that his smile will someday comfort an injured pro-football player or baseball star.

A senior health education/athletic training (HEAT) major, Baggarly spent his first five years of college at Georgia Southern as an instrumental music major. He recorded a professional music CD while he was there; but afterwards, Baggarly decided that the CD was probably the height of his musical career.

“I had one year left in my music major, and I could have stuck it out,” he said. But things were about to change.

While visiting his parents in Eatonton, Ga., Baggarly met an athletic trainer who told him about the industry. A career in athletic training sounded just like what he wanted to do from the beginning of college.

“Originally, I was going to double major in physical therapy and music,” he said. “That double major was not offered at Georgia Southern. So Baggarly decided to transfer to another school where he could accomplish his long-time dream.

He started back to school at GC&SU in the Spring 2004 and applied to the athletic training program the next semester.

“I always swore that I would never go to school at Georgia College,” Baggarly said. “I always thought it was this sorry little country town school. But in some instances, a smaller school is better.” So he followed his dreams of working with sports teams in what he considered a community college.

Baggarly started his clinical rotations last year, where he began to experience high school and college sporting events and treat injuries. He is enjoying every minute of it.

“You have to make sure you are comfortable with people, because it is a hands-on profession,” he said. “It’s all about how you treat the people and the injuries.”

And Baggarly knows all about dealing with people. He works as a bartender at a downtown nightclub in Macon at least three nights a week. His boss thinks he will make a great athletic trainer one day.

“He is great with people and very dedicated,” said Phillip Sinclair, one of the bar owners. “He may be one of our best bartenders.”

And even though he said the money is great and is getting him through college, he doesn’t want to be a bartender for the rest of his life.

“That is why I am going to school-so I don’t end up 40-years-old pouring drinks,” Baggarly said.

Being a HEAT major means more than just sports are in his future. With high aspirations of working with a professional team some day, Baggarly also plans to get certified in massage therapy and strength and conditioning.

“(The certifications) increases your marketability,” he said.

But these other focuses are not as important as his degree. And Baggarly was very adamant about one thing.

“No matter what I do, I don’t want to be stuck in a clinic somewhere. I know that I don’t want to do that,” he said.

Baggarly liked the idea of being a “jock doc,” so he prioritized his schoolwork and will be certified in athletic training when he graduates.

“I’m much more likely to find a job as an athletic trainer,” he said.

With his classes, clinical rotations and work, Baggarly said he never has much free time.

“In the rare chance that I do have free time, I like to read. But one of the things I like most is doing nothing,” he said.

And Anthony Uhl, Baggarly’s friend and co-worker, can attest to that.

“(Baggarly) is impossible to get in touch with, unless he wants to be found,” said Uhl. “But eventually he will return your calls.”

Baggarly uses his downtime as just that, downtime. He likes to just lounge around and enjoys doing nothing. And with so little time, he said he has not had time to make new friends since moving to GC&SU.

“The friends that I made (at Georgia Southern) I am still friends with, and living in Macon and going to school in Milledgeville doesn’t leave time for much else,” Baggarly said. And even though he does not expect much contact with them after graduation, he said his classmates are close-enough friends for now.

Baggarly has plenty of advice for anyone looking into becoming an athletic training major.

“Make sure it is something you really want to do. You can learn all you want from the books, but when you get down to it, it is what you do with your hands that determines the outcome of the injury,” he said.

And he would know all about following dreams and finding a way to do what you love. Baggarly spent five years in school doing something he ended up hating, and in two years, he found something he feels he will be able to do for the rest of his life.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Oct 14 2005. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry