Keeping the Bulls at their best

When Eric Waters walks into the United Center arena as the Director of Player Health and Performance for the Chicago Bulls, he carries with him three decades of experience, countless lessons from the NBA, and a deep passion for helping athletes thrive. 

Yet, even after working at the very top of professional sport for years, Waters still saw the need to challenge himself further – and that’s what led him to ACU.

Waters’ journey into sport began far from the bright lights of Chicago. Growing up on a farm in Belle Plaine, Iowa, he spent his childhood immersed in work, school and sport. 

“My interest in sport probably blossomed about the age of seven,” he said. 

“Growing up on a farm, we didn’t have a lot to throw ourselves into but work, school and sports. 

“My father was an avid sportsman and fan, and that passion was instilled in me.”

By high school, Waters had already begun mapping his future, writing his senior term paper back in 1989 on sports medicine.

At the time, the field of sports science was still emerging, but he knew he had found his calling. 

That early spark carried him through his undergraduate studies in exercise science and psychology at the University of Iowa, then on to a master’s in exercise science at Boise State University.

From Belle Plaine to the NBA

Waters’ professional journey took him into the heart of the NBA. 

He first joined the Chicago Bulls in 2000 as an assistant athletic trainer, before moving on to leadership roles with the Washington Wizards and Utah Jazz. 

Across nearly three decades, he has worked courtside with some of the world’s best athletes and alongside the USA Basketball Men’s National Team, the NBA’s Basketball Without Borders program, and even NFL Europe.

And his expertise hasn’t gone unnoticed. 

He has been named NBA Athletic Trainer of the Year twice by the National Basketball Athletic Trainers Association (NBATA), in 2010 and again in 2019.

But for Waters, the accolades matter less than the impact on players. 

“My career highlight has been the last eight years of the last 30 – with the Utah Jazz, building a strong sports medicine and performance program from scratch with amazing colleagues and friends,” he said.

“Then getting the opportunity to work for the Chicago Bulls to build on an already established program with new colleagues and seeing the players benefit and appreciate the efforts we have made to keep them healthy and running at top form.”

The road to ACU

Despite his success, Waters recognised the shifting demands of high-performance sport. 

As the NBA embraced data-driven approaches, he knew he needed to expand his expertise.

That realisation led him to ACU’s Master of High Performance Sport, which he began in Melbourne in 2017 before completing it online.

“Once I was in the NBA and the world shifted to data acquisition, measurement and interpretation, I could see that I needed to lean into the burgeoning world of sports science and performance,” he said. 

“Which led me to ACU.”

His favourite part of studying at ACU was the opportunity to synthesise everything he’d learned across his career and channel it into building a program. 

“What I enjoyed most was learning and giving myself the opportunity to formulate a high-performance sport program in my own mind, and then put all the pieces into place, and allow it to crystallise,” he said.

“Not perfectly, but effectively. I’m always reaching for that perfect.”

Lessons learned

With experience spanning three decades, Waters is quick to share the wisdom he’s gained. 

The biggest challenge – and greatest lesson – for him remains simplicity.

“It’s easy to go down dead ends and wormholes of data, seeking the next greatest angle,” he said. 

“But working backwards from the problems you already have and asking the right questions – that’s how you get to success. 

“Simplicity in approach, broadening out from there – and most importantly never forgetting your mistakes and looking to learn from yours and others’ – can help you stay between the ditches and get to a more successful outcome.”

Coming full circle

In 2024, Waters returned to Chicago, this time to lead the Bulls’ athletic training and performance staff. 

It’s a role that combines his decades of experience, his lessons in leadership, and the expertise he honed during his studies at ACU.

And for students considering following in his footsteps, his story shows just how far an ACU education can take you.

“The program directors and lecturers at ACU were and remain at the top of their fields,” he said.

“What I learned from them is truly immeasurable.”

Considering a career in high performance sport? ACU has introduced two new specialisations (coaching and sports analytics) to the Master of High Performance Sport from Semester 1, 2026. Explore your options.