Pushing sport forward through design.
Although I was never a great athlete, being from Knoxville, TN, I am privy to the importance that sports have on society and culture. College football is a huge part of being from the south and has always been a great tool to bring communities together. My unique education in psychology, art, and human physiology make me fascinated to create products that positively impact athletes and help bring communities together.
Improving athlete performance is something I am truly passionate about. Coming out of high school I was a pre-med major in hopes to one day be in sports medicine. While I quickly realized I enjoy a more hands on education I was able to gain a wealth of knowledge from the world of science. I thought my time in the sciences was over until I was able to study under sports scientist Brett Kirby at the University of Oregon. I took his Human Physiology and Sports Performance course and was later the TA for him. This reinvigorated my desire to try and impact the way sports are played. Professional athletes are viewed by younger generations as superheroes. If I can help the highest level athletes perform higher then that will inspire the next generation to dream that much bigger.
I’ve always been inspired by fashion and am intrigued by the classic idiom “look good, feel good, play good.” Creating products that appeal to their user is something that is hugely important to me but can it actually create a performance advantage? Psychology is a huge part of sport so there has to be some benefit to creating products that athletes can truly connect with. By taking the time to connect with athletes you can create designs that are uniquely representative of them. Without actually including any new tech you can boost morale through thoughtful product. When this aspect of product is ignored it can also be hugely detrimental. If an athlete can’t picture themselves wearing a product then the performance benefits it offers are null and void. It doesn’t matter how great your product is if you lack the ability to gain buy in. With this in mind, implementing new and different technology can hinge on making the tech as appealing as possible. My experience in art and psychology make me in tune with how to connect with athletes and create product that is representative of them.
I hope to connect with and learn from athletes to create the most unique sports product imaginable. I want to push the boundaries of what is possible and help shape the future of sports through thoughtful and authentic design.