In our SPOTLIGHT ON SCIENCE OCCUPATIONS series, we have a few goals: (1) We try to touch on topics that will catch your attention. (2) We try to highlight scientists with whom you can connect. (3) We try to introduce you to fields of science that you may not always recognize as science. Read below on a fascinating field of science that also allows you to incorporate your favorite sports into your work. If this sounds like a dream to you, you’ve come to the right place. Introducing…Caleigh Hall and Sports Biomechanics.
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Have you ever wondered how science can help athletes move better, throw harder, or avoid injuries? Sports biomechanics is a field that blends science, technology, and athletics to optimize performance and reduce injury risk. If you love sports and enjoy subjects like physics, biology, and math, biomechanics could be an exciting career path for you!
My interest in biomechanics started with my love for both sports and science. Growing up, I played soccer, swam, and ran while always being curious about how the body moves. After a sports injury in high school, I became fascinated by the idea of preventing injuries and improving performance through science. This led me to study exercise physiology in college, where I discovered biomechanics—the study of how the body moves and the forces acting on it. I found that biomechanics is used in sports to analyze movements and improve performance, which made me excited to pursue it further in graduate school. My research focused on baseball catchers, where I used technology like motion capture and force plates to study how strength and mobility impact throwing mechanics.
After graduate school, I started my career in the biomechanics department for the Boston Red Sox. This experience gave me hands-on exposure to using advanced technology to collect and analyze data on athlete movement. Motion capture cameras track body mechanics in extreme detail, force plates measure how much force an athlete produces, and high-speed cameras provide slow-motion breakdowns of complex movements. These tools help biomechanists and sports scientists understand how an athlete moves, allowing teams to refine mechanics and improve performance.
A major part of biomechanics in professional baseball is injury prevention. By studying movement patterns, inefficiencies or imbalances that could lead to injuries can be identified. This information helps strength coaches, athletic trainers, and medical staff design customized training programs to keep players healthy and performing at their best.
Beyond injury prevention, biomechanics helps players maximize their potential. By analyzing how a pitcher generates velocity or how a hitter creates power in their swing, small adjustments can lead to significant improvements. Teams use biomechanical data to create individualized coaching plans that help players become more efficient and effective in their movements.
Biomechanics in professional sports is a highly collaborative field. Biomechanists work closely with coaches, sports scientists, and medical staff to make sure the data collected is useful and can be applied directly to training. The challenge is not only gathering accurate information but also translating it into simple, actionable feedback that players and coaches can use to improve performance.
One exciting aspect of working in sports science is seeing more women entering the field. While sports performance roles have traditionally been male-dominated, the landscape is changing as more women take on key positions in biomechanics, sports medicine, and player development. This shift is creating more opportunities for young women who are passionate about science and athletics to pursue careers in professional sports.
Sports biomechanics continues to evolve with new advancements in technology. As research grows and tools become more sophisticated, there will be even more ways to apply science to help athletes perform at their best. This makes biomechanics an exciting and ever-changing field with endless opportunities to explore new ideas and innovations.
If you love science and sports, a career in biomechanics could be a great fit for you. Whether working with professional teams or in research settings, biomechanics plays a vital role in sports performance and injury prevention. It’s a perfect blend of science, technology, and athletics—helping athletes perform at their best while keeping them healthy for the long run.
