A dream to inspire sport management professionals has guided West Virginia University doctoral student Lindsay Hammond from learning in the classroom to leading the classroom.
Hammond, who is expected to graduate in August with her PhD in coaching and teaching studies, will join the faculty at California University of Pennsylvania as an assistant professor pending successful defense of her dissertation.
Her journey to the classroom has certainly been a unique one—and it started with a passion for working with athletes preparing to compete in the Olympics.
“I spent seven years working within the Olympic movement before I decided to return to school to pursue my doctoral degree,” said Hammond, who worked with the national governing body for Olympic shooting sports from 2005 to 2011 through organizing events for able-body and para-athletes.
“Although I loved working as a sport event manager, I knew that I ultimately wanted to help shape the next generation of sport management majors.”
When she made her way to Morgantown, she brought her passion for para-athletics work with her and combined it with an interest in helping military members who sustained injuries in the line of duty.
“I worked with soldiers who had sustained injuries in combat and chose to remain on active duty,” said Hammond. “My research explored the influences of a Paralympic military program on the self-identity of active duty service members with acquired disabilities.”
Hammond’s decision to transition from professional to student wasn’t easy, but she is grateful that WVU’s College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences faculty gave her the tools to make the adjustment seamless—and to allow her to pursue her passion in a supportive environment.
“The decision to leave a stable career in pursuit of a personal goal was difficult and full of uncertainty,” said Hammond. “My CPASS professors provided me with the foundation necessary to be successful.”
While Hammond is excited for a new chapter of her life—which involves a new career, husband and a baby—she will always be grateful for the chapter that led her to West Virginia University and the guidance she received from the faculty and staff at CPASS.
“I am not sure that I would be on the track to graduate if it wasn’t for the tremendous support I received from my Mountaineer family,” said Hammond. “I will always be proud of my Mountaineer roots.”
-WVU-
kc/06/25/15
CONTACT: Kimberly Cameon, College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences
304-293-0827, Kimberly.Cameon@mail.wvu.edu
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