Sports Engineering: Making the world fun!

Sports engineering fascinates me! I mean just imagine the creativity that goes into designing a new tennis racket or a new inline skate. How about the technology that goes into new helmets, shoes, or what can be done with carbon fiber materials? If you’re interested in the construction side of the business there are needs for sporting facilities, stadiums, arenas, tracks etc. Sports engineering offers a terrific introduction into how the human body works and stimulates interest in bio-mechanics, anatomy, physiology, and nutrition. Study in this field provides students a solid understanding of materials, equipment, technology, along with a familiarity of sports in general. Sports engineering crosses over various branches of engineering, culling aspects from mechanical, civil, materials, electrical, chemical, bio-medical, industrial, computer, and manufacturing engineering. Yet it seems to do so in a fun way that readily helps others. A couple of examples are the direct concerns of using technology to prevent injury and addressing environmental problems. Nike, “re-uses” two million old pairs of shoes annually. The rubber soles are ground up to become football, soccer, baseball fields and weight room floors. The granulated foam mid-soles are used in basketball courts and playgrounds. The fabric becomes the padding under hardwood floors. Sports engineering bridges the gap between classical engineering and modern day science.

This could tie together several schools inside of National University; Sports engineering and Nursing, Media and engineering, Business and engineering. Makes for interesting thoughts; after all, engineers make our world work. Sports engineers make it fun!