Jordan Blazo, Ph.D.
Where did you grow up and what activities were you involved in?
Hartland, Michigan; I loved playing all kinds of sports but really focused on soccer.
What did you want to be when you grew up?
I’m not sure I ever really had one thing I wanted to be when I grew up. I liked learning how things worked so my parents thought an engineer, and I love technology so then something with computers, then a coach or a counselor. And here I am…a professor.
What was your first job?
I worked at Dairy Queen
Where did you attend undergrad and what was your major?
Michigan State University – Major: Psychology, Specialization: Coaching
Where did you attend graduate school and your activities during that time? Ph.D.?
Masters: Georgia Southern University; Activities – I was a graduate assistant, so I taught activity classes and I was a sport psychology consultant for university teams and athletes. My research interests really began at Georgia Southern when I completed my thesis on Sibling Sport Achievement Experiences.
Ph.D.: Purdue University/Michigan State University – I started at Purdue University and followed my mentor to Michigan State University when he accepted a new job. While I didn’t finish at Purdue, it was an amazing experience. Activities: Most of my time in my Ph.D. I was a research assistant working on multiple studies to understand the role of physical activity on ADHD in children. I continued researching sibling relationships in sport when I completed my dissertation looking at sibling relationship dynamics in youth sport experiences.
What brought you to Louisiana Tech?
Louisiana Tech was a great opportunity. The department had a great deal of energy and clearly held many of the same values as I do. I also knew that I wanted to come to a smaller school where I could foster relationships with students and see the impact my classes and research could have on them.
What classes do you teach at Louisiana Tech?
Undergraduate: KINE 316 – Exercise and Sport Psychology; KINE 420 – Sports and Society Graduate: KINE 508 – Research Methods; KINE 531 – Youth Sport Psychology; KINE 538 – Motivation in Physical Activity; KINE 539 – Sport Psychology; KINE 540 – Sport Impact on Society
What are your research interests?
Youth Sport and Family Dynamics, specifically how siblings help shape and inform our early sport experiences.
What organizations are you affiliated with?
North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity (NASPSPA)
What do you like to do in your spare time to unwind?
Much of my spare time is spent with my family simply trying to relax. We’ll spend time walking and goofing around outside with our little one.
What is your favorite quote?
“The seasons do not push one another; neither do clouds race the wind across the sky. All things happen in their own good time.”
― Dan Millman
The Exponential Factor 