What is the educational pathway for a Sports Equipment Biomechanist?

[David Ikechi Uzoigwe]

[moderator's note: Biomch-L does not accept "looking for job" postings, but this seems to be a good topic for general discussion]

I'm an undergraduate student that aspires to work for (Nike,Adidas,Puma,New Balance,etc) research and development labs. How do I get on the right pathway?

Thanks for your wisdom

David Ikechi Uzoigwe
Texas State University ESS 16'
david.uzoigwe@gmail.com

[Stefan Litzenberger]

Re: What is the educational pathway for a Sports Equipment Biomechanist?

Dear David!
Sports Technology or Sports Engineering is a comparatively young field in Engineering. Usually the field of Sports Technology covers classical engineering topics (mechanics, electronics, informatics) as well as topics related to the medical field (biomechanics, physiology, anatomy, motion analysis, anthropometry).
Take a look at the website of the International Sports Engineering Association (ISEA), you might find a lot of answers there (http://www.sportsengineering.org/ see the "students" section for University courses all around the world (note: different courses have different emphases)).
Furthermore you could visit the ISEA conference, which is held biannually (July 2016 in Delft, NL http://isea2016.fyper.com/) , take a look at the newest developments and topics in Sports Technology and meet industry representatives as well as researchers from all over the world.
All the best for your future
Kind regards from Vienna
Stefan

[Robert Stupplebeen]

Re: What is the educational pathway for a Sports Equipment Biomechanist?

David,

This is a more general answer but hopefully it's useful. Go to those companies and look for your ideal job descriptions including entry level and more advanced. Every choice you make with course work and projects can steer towards this goal. Also, you could try to message the engineering managers through LinkedIn and ask for advice. Just remember to be respectful of their time and don't ask for a job, just advice.

I hope this helps.
Rob Stupplebeen
Rob's LinkedIn Profile

[Edmund Cramp]

Re: What is the educational pathway for a Sports Equipment Biomechanist?

I think this is a good question and one that's in the mind of many students. I would add to Rob's comment that another approach (and I know people that this has worked for) would be to look at the technologies that the desired companies use, and start off with a job at a company that is a leader in one of the fields that excites you. Become an expert in something that your desired company has a need for and then - if you get lucky - they will come looking for you.

[Simon Choppin]

Re: What is the educational pathway for a Sports Equipment Biomechanist?

To follow on from Stefan's post, our research centre has a blog article which tackles the 'I want to be a Sports Engineer' question, you may find it useful.

Regards,

Simon Choppin