Careers in track and field

[Adam]

I will be finishing up my Ph.D. in physics at Carnegie Mellon (CMU) soon which means I'm looking for employment. As an undergraduate I competed in track all four years at a DIII school (Case Western Reserve University) and while I've been working on my Ph.D. I've been coaching the jumpers at CMU. In the midst of all of this I've come to realize that I LOVE track and field, I love every aspect, from competing (I still compete when I can), to coaching, to helping run meets, to watching the pros and obsessing over every stat. So my question to all of you is what can I do to make track and field my career (keep in mind that I've been in school for the last 23 years so I'm really not looking to do any more schooling). Any ideas are welcome and would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Adam Knudson

Re: Careers in track and field

I suggest you go back and get a degree in pharmacology, mkay?

[dl]

Re: Careers in track and field

Careers in track & field are few and far between. I don't want to offer life advice, but if you're getting a PhD and enjoy coaching, perhaps if you get an academic appointment at a university somewhere (especially DIII) you could continue to coach and build experience (in as many different event groups as possible). If after a few years coaching you feel it's something you want to due full time, then you could pursue it more aggressively.

My advice would be to make as many contacts within the coaching world as possible.

You could also help out with Sports Information at your school which would give you more journalistic experience. And learning how to operate a timing system is always a good skill.

Re: Careers in track and field

El Supremo is impressed with your PhD in Pysics - I think you might want to think outside the box on how you could incorporate your science/materials background into T&F as well. There are many ways to be involved in T&F - how about talking with manufactures of shot/discus/polevault poles, etc. - they may not pay you what your PhD is worth, but I suspect many advances in T&F field events in the next 20 years will come from implement improvements (i.e. spin/stability of discus, PV poles specifically designed for women's strengths and weaknesses).

How about prosthetics? I'm sure you have the requisite abilities to design prosthetic devices which wold allow people to enjoy T&F who may have lost arm(s)/leg(s).

I must go now - the Ohio state track meet beckons.

Best of luck. El Supremo.