A Lifelong Passion for Strength and Conditioning
Dr. Ward’s professional journey began in eighth grade when he first discovered formal strength and conditioning. His motivation to play sports was driven by his valuable experiences in the weight room with his first mentor and strength coach, Scott Regalia, who helped him build confidence by pushing his physical limits.
Dr. Matthew Ward began coaching for the San Jose Earthquakes shortly after graduating from the kinesiology doctorate program at CSP Global.
Through years of internships, volunteer work, and formal education, he has been able to develop a successful career in the competitive sports performance industry.
“My motivations now are to achieve excellence in performance coaching, advance the profession, and make the same invaluable impact on the next generation that strength and conditioning had on me. Pursuing my doctoral degree at CSP was a natural step in that process.”
Balancing Coaching, Travel, and a Doctorate
Working coaches often wonder how to balance demanding travel schedules with advanced education. Dr. Ward was attracted to CSP Global’s program due to its flexibility, which allowed him to stay engaged with his coursework while actively coaching and traveling with multiple teams year-round. Due to his professional obligations, a traditional doctoral program was not feasible.
“At CSP, I was able to learn and collaborate in a way that fit my schedule. The program also allowed me to gear learning objectives towards my own interests and professional goals. These aspects of the program meant that I could immediately apply what I was learning to my professional practice without having to sacrifice time spent coaching and making an impact.”
Applying Dissertation Research to Professional Soccer
Dr. Ward’s dissertation was titled “Measuring Impulse-DSI and its Derivatives Via the Isometric Belt Squat: Assessing Relationships with Sprint Ability Among Division 1 Team Sport Athletes.” At the University of San Francisco, his project involved developing, validating, and correlating new isometric force plate testing techniques with sprint performance.
Dr. Matthew Ward applying his dissertation research in weight room testing with the San Jose Earthquakes team.
Force plates were just beginning to gain widespread use in the performance training field when he first entered the profession ten years ago. Recognizing how quickly the technology and its potential were evolving, he set out to become an expert user while contributing new knowledge to the field.
“My dissertation is applied every day at the San Jose Earthquakes where I’ve brought my research to elevate the club’s performance program. With many technological resources at our disposal, it’s important to constantly assess and improve how we use technology to generate actionable insights that drive performance.”
Now that he has over a year of professional coaching experience, he is excited to tackle new problems and generate innovative solutions within the realm of strength and conditioning as a skilled researcher.
Advice for Future Kinesiology Scholars
Reflecting on his doctoral journey, Dr. Matthew Ward’s advice to new students is “know your research interests early. Having multiple years to become an expert in a topic will enhance the quality of your dissertation. Even well after I graduated, I still ran into information or research articles I should have seen earlier that could have elevated the quality of my dissertation.”
Explore Your Future
If you want to elevate your sports science career like Dr. Ward, consider how advanced education can fit seamlessly into your professional life. Learn more about the EdD in Kinesiology at CSP Global and discover how a flexible, expert-led curriculum can help you achieve your goals in sports performance and research.