NEWS

Dr. Jordan Blazo

Kinesiology is the study of human movement.

However it’s the connection between the mind and body that propels the deeper understanding of how and why the body moves.

Jordan BlazoDr. Jordan Blazo, a native of Hartland, Michigan, was a small-town boy with a love for sports and family. If not for an injury before college, Blazo would have pursued sports beyond high school. But from a young age, Blazo had “always been interested in how people tick” and decided to pursue an undergraduate degree in Psychology.

While an undergrad, Blazo pursued his love for sports through local sports leagues and coaching opportunities and was encouraged to pursue a minor in Coaching while at Michigan State University. Blazo realized that he was pursuing a degree that blended his passion of physical activity and understanding others, Sport and Exercise Psychology. When applying to pursue a master’s degree, his beloved mentor, with whom he volunteered on studies examining youth specialization and young figure skaters, challenged him to “go beyond what you’re comfortable with, learn from someone else so that you may come back and we can learn from you.”

Blazo embraced this motto while pursuing both his master’s and doctoral degrees, focusing his research on young athletes.

While getting his graduate degree, Blazo further pursued sports psychology and family relationships by conducting a study on siblings and evaluated the effects of growing up with a gifted athlete in the homestead. After having the opportunity to interview younger siblings of Division I athletes, Olympians, National Champions and other extraordinary athletes,  Blazo arrived at the conclusion of two polarizing responses: either the siblings and family members thought it to be the best opportunity and a great way for family to come together or a negative connotation to the experience with unhealthy competition, sibling rivalry, and favoritism from their parent or guardian.

With this study, Blazo developed a deeper passion for youth sport and exercise psychology and teaching future leaders its significance through higher education.

As an inaugural Sports Psychology professor, Blazo challenges his students to take an active role in their education and encourages them to always think deeper. He empowers students in the Kinesiology program to be well-rounded students who are passionate about both the physical and mental attributes of human movement.

“One thing I like the most about Louisiana Tech is being able to connect and actually know my students where they are not just one of the masses,” said Blazo. “We hope that our students know that they are valued and what they will bring to the table will be valued.”

Through Sport Psychology, Blazo challenges his students to seek a deeper reasoning of the movements of the body through sports and how that affects individuals both before and after their physical activity. Instead of defining strength as one’s physical attributes or actions, Blazo said, “a strength should be something that fulfills and energizes you making you feel strong.”