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Staff Interviews

ONE-on-ONE with

Brian Baxter, MS, CSCS

Position: Assistant Director – Strength and Conditioning

Education: BS Corporate Fitness; MS Exercise Physiology/Fitness Management; Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist with the National Strength and Conditioning Association.

What was your first recreational position?
My first recreational position was as a Graduate Assistant in Facility Management for Campus Recreation at Western Illinois University. My first fitness related position was as an intern with the strength and conditioning team for the New York Yankees baseball team.

Your first professional position?
I was the Fitness/Aquatic and Adult Recreation Director for the Rantoul Recreation Department for three years.

What are your current job responsibilities?
I am responsible for the overall performance of the Campus Recreation Strength and Conditioning areas (CRCE, ARC, Kenney), the Fitness Equipment Maintenance Department, and the Personal Training Program.

What is the best part about working for Campus Rec?
Seeing students develop over time and working in an environment that promotes a well balanced and healthy lifestyle.

What is the most challenging aspect of working for Campus Rec?
The most challenging aspect of working at Campus Rec would have to be accepting the fact that a lot of students are not as detailed oriented as myself. Why can't they just return the weight plates to the right spots?

What are the challenges of working closely with student staff?
I have to constantly remind myself that the student employees have other important things going on in their lives besides work, such as academics and social activities, which can interfere with their performance and focus while working for Campus Recreation.

What is your most memorable moment while working at Campus Rec?
My most memorable moment would have to be seeing the amazed look on the faces of the students that used our renovated CRCE facility for the first time. The amazed look was often followed by a "Wow, this place is really nice."

What do you consider to be your best professional accomplishment?
The project of purchasing the new fitness equipment for the CRCE renovation. This process required a lot of research and planning and after one year of operation I believe we have an elite offering of equipment for our satellite facility.

What are your future professional goals?
I would like to progress through the ranks within Campus Recreation by adding more experience in Facility Management while continuing to strive to keep our Campus Recreation strength and conditioning areas the best in the country.

What is your personal fitness goal?
I would like to maintain an overall balance by incorporating a complete functional training program of flexibility, core, balance, reactive, speed/agility/quickness, strength, and cardiovascular training to allow me to keep up with my growing children.