Balancing a Coaching Career with Doctoral Studies
CSP Global’s online EdD in Kinesiology is designed for working professionals who need flexibility without sacrificing academic rigor. For educators like Dr. Geldon, the asynchronous format allowed him to maintain his demanding roles as a high school teacher and varsity coach while completing his doctoral degree.
“I simply would not have been able to choose a program that was traditional. This offered the same curricular rigor while allowing me to not sacrifice my career in the process. I feel that this approach worked best for me while giving me a uniquely well rounded doctoral experience.”
Throughout his studies, Dr. Geldon especially enjoyed connecting with a diverse group of peers and faculty from across the United States. The rigorous coursework helped him develop new skills that translated directly to his daily life.
“This program has made me not only a better teacher and coach but honestly a better person. It forced time management, discipline and increased mental capacity, while allowing me to pursue and learn about topics that truly benefit both me and my student-athletes. I am incredibly proud of completing this program and feel it has directly benefited me both professionally and personally.”
Action Research: Rethinking Power Development in PE
As a high school strength and conditioning coach, Dr. Geldon’s dissertation research was motivated by a desire to enhance his teaching skills with student-athletes. He wanted to explore effective ways to teach power development in large high school PE classes, where teaching traditional Olympic lifts posed challenges due to safety, space, and equipment constraints.
Through the action research dissertation process in CSP Global’s EdD in Kinesiology program, Dr. Geldon compared Olympic and non-Olympic lifts in high school PE classes. His findings showed no significant difference in outcomes, allowing his school to implement safer, space-efficient non-Olympic movements for freshman athletes. This new approach improves safety, maximizes space, and streamlines power development training.
Since graduation, Dr. Geldon has continued doing what he loves, using his research to provide practical, data-driven improvements for student-athlete training.
“Implementing results from my dissertation on power development for freshman athletes has been awesome. Being able to use data that was generated from our students to run a study and see the results was impactful. It has changed the way we train our freshman athletes for power development and may lead to district changes or changes in other school programs as well.”
Advice for Future Kinesiology Scholars
Looking back on his time in the program, Dr. Geldon recognizes the immense effort required to balance a career, coaching, and doctoral studies, but he emphasizes the lasting value of the experience.
“This program is everything that I hoped it would be. Although probably the second hardest thing I have done in my life besides parenting, it is also incredibly rewarding and directly improved my career as a teacher and coach. Although a tall task, the format of this program allows a person to pursue their doctoral goals while also being able to continue their career.”
Explore Your Future
Are you ready to elevate your career in sports, health, and education without putting your life on hold? Discover how the online Doctorate in Kinesiology at CSP Global can help you achieve your professional goals. Learn more about our flexible, rigorous curriculum and start your journey today.