When Gary Ward joined what was then Southwest Missouri State University in 1978, he was the first athletic trainer for women’s athletics.
While he retired in 2010, he continued teaching part time until 2019. He remains active on game days, running the clock for Missouri State football and basketball. In addition, he also serves on the McQueary College of Health and Human Services Community Advisory Board.
His dedication to Missouri State athletics has earned him recognition beyond campus.
On Oct. 7, Ward was honored at the 39th annual Springfield Area Sports Stars induction ceremony of the Springfield Area Sports Hall of Fame.
“I’ve been honored in other halls of fame, but being recognized here in Springfield means a lot. This is where I spent my career, so this one feels special,” Ward said.
Finding his calling in athletics
Ward’s journey into the world of athletics started far from Missouri. Born in Laramie, Wyoming, he grew up playing multiple sports.
His curiosity about sports medicine deepened when he began noticing who helped injured players on the field.
“I remember watching college football games on TV and seeing a player get hurt,” Ward said. “Someone would run in from the sideline and I wondered, ‘Who is that person?’ That was the athletic trainer. And that’s how I got interested in athletic training.”
He earned his first bachelor’s degree in physical education in 1974 from Montana State University and completed a master’s in athletic training in 1975 at the University of Arizona. Later, he completed a second bachelor’s degree in physical therapy from Florida International University in spring 1978 and joined Missouri State that fall.
Building programs from the ground up
When Ward came to the university, he had a dual appointment as an athletic trainer and instructor in physical education. Soon after, he helped launch the undergraduate athletic training program in 1979.
By 1981, he also played a key role in establishing a campus-based sports medicine clinic that served the community, especially high school athletes who lacked access to athletic trainers. The clinic later partnered with St. John’s Hospital (now Mercy), expanding both services and hands-on training opportunities for students.
Ward is proud of the national recognition that Missouri State’s athletic training program earned over the years.
“For many years, we had a 100% pass rate on the national exam,” he said. “We were also one of the earliest accredited programs in the country.”
His contributions extended beyond athletic training. As the only physical therapist on campus at the time, Ward served on committees that helped establish both the physical therapy and occupational therapy programs.
“I got to do a lot of different things. Hopefully, I was helping programs grow and giving something back to the university,” he said.
Batman, Robin and the scorer’s table
Ward is well known for his long-standing partnership with colleague Jimmy Wright at the scorer’s table. The duo is often described as “Batman and Robin.”
Together, they have worked on an estimated 6,000 sporting events together on the official table crew for Missouri State, Greenwood Laboratory School, the Blue and Gold Tournament and the Bass Pro Tournament of Champions. Ward handles the main clock duties in various sports.
The partnership began informally in the early 1990s at a basketball game at Greenwood Lab. As Ward was sitting in the stands watching his son play junior high basketball, he needed a break from the other dads. So, he went down and sat with Wright, who was working the clock at the game.
“After a few games, I started keeping the official scorebook for Greenwood at that time while Jimmy continued to run the clock,” Ward said. “Those roles are what we still do at Greenwood.”
At Missouri State football games, Wright runs the play clock and Ward runs the game clock. In basketball games, Wright handles the shot clock and has been the only person to have ever done that job since the shot clock was added in 1985, while Ward manages the game clock.
The Springfield Area Sports Hall of Fame honored them together at the induction ceremony — celebrating their decades of teamwork, consistency and behind-the-scenes dedication to the local sports community.
“It was nice to be recognized together. It wouldn’t have been right to honor one without the other,” Ward said.
Reflections from his career
According to him, he hopes people remember that he treated others with respect and dignity.
“You never know what someone else is going through, so give them the benefit of the doubt and always look for the best in people.”
His years of dedication reinforced his belief that sports could help students develop leadership, teamwork and resilience — skills that matter far beyond the classroom or the training room.
Having worked in teaching, clinical practice, program development and game-day service for over four decades, Ward describes his career in one word: “varied.” Through his contributions, he has left a lasting influence felt across campus and throughout the community.