While serving in executive positions at Reebok International, Nabisco Foods, and Intimate Brands, Kirk had responsibility for helping individuals and teams improve their performance and leadership skills in marketing, human resources, finance, sales, research, product development, distribution, and operations, both domestic, and internationally. His industry focus has included the Sports Industry, Consulting, Consumer Goods, Manufacturing, and Retail. In 1989, Kirk also founded KLD Properties, a real estate investment and management company. His extensive scope of business experience, combined with over 13 years as a competitive athlete, was the perfect blend to found Sports Professionals, Inc. an organization committed to leveraging the unique benefits athletes and business professionals have in working together.

At Sports Professionals, Kirk has supported the career transition of over 250 professional athletes at the National Football League, the National Hockey League, Major League Soccer, Professional Baseball, and throughout the NCAA. He has acted as a consultant to the NFL Player Programs department since 1994. Kirk’s expertise is in business development, marketing, career planning, training, executive coaching, outplacement counseling, recruitment, group facilitation, and professional skills training. He consults for various organizations nationwide, and leads workshops and training seminars for athletes, sports industry leaders, corporate executives, and teams on change management, career transition, career internships, and leadership development related topics.

A frequently requested speaker and panel expert, Kirk presented at the 2001 NE Society for Human Resource Management meeting on, “Best Practices in Leadership Development”, the 2000 American Society for Training and Development International Conference on, “Companies Teaming Up with the NFL for Career Internships”, the 1999 NE Human Resource Planning Society Meeting on, “Winning Leadership Competencies in the Sports Industry”, and the 1994, 1996, and 1997 ASTD Global Conferences for, “Best Practices in Training and Development”, He is on the advisory board for the Corporate University Review: The Magazine for Organizational Learning and Performance.

Kirk is currently co-authoring the book, “Winning Career Moves - Transitioning from the Playing Field to the Boardroom”, with the National Football League. He holds an M.A. in Education and a B.A. in Communications from the Ohio State University. He was a scholarship student athlete for four years gaining All Academic Big Ten Honors (80-82), All Big Ten Honors (81-82), and a post graduate scholarship for his athletic, academic, and leadership results in the classroom and on the playing field. He was Captain of the 1982 Big Ten East Division Championship baseball team.

SPI CLIENT LIST

SPI career coaches and consultants have supported hundreds of active and former professional athletes to make the move from sports - to new and exciting "off the field" careers. Players that SPI has coached or trained have transitioned “out of - or into” the following organizations with our career or alumni network support:

Arizona Cardinals
Atlanta Falcons
Academy Sports and Outdoors
Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Orioles
Buffalo Bills
Boston College Athletics
Bath & Body Works
Cincinatti Bengals
Cleveland Browns
Carolina Panthers
Columbus Crew
Creative Training Resources
Chicago Bears
Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago Cubs
Champs Sports
Cincinatti Reds
Cleveland Indians
Corporate Express
Dallas Cowboys
Denver Bronco's
Detroit Lions
Dallas Stars
The Eaton Corporation
Florida State University Athletics
FootAction
Footlocker
Green Bay Packers
Grambling State Athletics
Greg Norman Collection
Houston Texans
University of Houston Athletics
Indianapolis Colts
Jacksonville Jaguars
Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Royals
KLD Properties
LSU Athletics
Major League Soccer (MLS)
University of Michigan Athletics
Michigan State Uiversity Athletics
Missouri (Mizzou) Athletics
Montreal Expos
Montreal Canadians
Minnesota Vikings
Miami Dolphins
New England Patriots
New York Jets
New York Mets
New York Yankees
New York Giants
New Orlean Saints
University of Nebraska Athletics
North Carolina Athletics
New England Revolution
The National Football League
Nabisco Foods Company
Nabisco Biscuit Company
National Hockey League Players Association
Notre Dame Athletics
Oakland Raiders
Ohio State University Athletics
The Ohio State Diamond Club
Philadelphia Eagles
Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Penguins
Philadelphia Flyers
Planters Lifesaver Company
Pier One Imports
Reebok International, Ltd.
Ralph Lauren Footwear
The Rockport Company
Sarah Lee
Sprint
St. Louis Rams
San Fransisco 49er's
Seattle Mariners
Seattle Seahawks
Syracuse Athletics
Tampa Bay Bucs
Toronto Blue Jays
Victoria Secrets
Victoria Secrets Catalogue
The Washington Redskins
University of Southern California Athletics
UCLA Athletics