Kinesiology Paths: Sports Performance

Christopher Watson, Kinesiology Graduate Student

Raised in Toronto, Canada I have always had a passion for baseball and hockey. While earning my BSc in Biology and playing baseball at St. Lawrence University, I also worked with the men’s and women’s hockey teams on the strength and conditioning staff. Shortly after finishing my undergrad I became a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS). Working with many great strength coaches has allowed me to gain ample knowledge and led to getting to work with very talented athletes, some being in the NHL, NBA and the Olympics. When speaking with a mentor of mine, Dr. Ryan Crotin, I learned about the Kinesiology Department at Louisiana Tech and the baseball research that Dr. David Szymanski completes. The program piqued my interest and made it an easy decision to come to Tech.

At Tech, I have kept busy pursuing my graduate degree in Kinesiology Sports Performance Concentration and as a graduate teaching assistant. I work directly with the baseball team as the director of video and analytics and am also a strength and conditioning coach intern. I have created a student group in baseball analytics to further assist the team and teach analytics.

For my thesis I will combine my interests of baseball, strength and conditioning and biomechanics. I will conduct research to determine if forearm strength and mobility impacts pitchers’ performance in their pitch movement as well as their risk of injury. After graduating in the spring of 2024, my goal is to use my knowledge from my studies and experiences to start a career in baseball in the areas of player development and strength and conditioning.

My passion for baseball while having a growth mindset has made for an easy transition and sense of fulfillment in coaching. I feel extremely fortunate to have chosen Louisiana Tech for countless unique opportunities, the breadth of knowledge I have acquired, new experiences and the great people I have encountered.

Mrs. Jessica Szymanski, Graduate students Elise Bordlee, Chris Watson, Austin Reedy and Dr. David Szymanski

Additional Information:

Undergraduate Programs

information about our two undergraduate degrees in Exercise and Health Promotion and Kinesiology and Health Sciences

Graduate Programs

information about our Graduate Programs: Master of Science in Kinesiology Sport and Exercise Psychology Concentration and Sports Performance Concentration