Review
An exceptional vehicle for non-professional athletes who want to work in sports to channel their passion sports engineering. -- SWE Magazine, October 2004
This book is packed full of resources about sports engineering, a career field that combines health, science, and technological design. -- National Science Teachers Association, September 21, 2004
This book really explores the multitude of options available to engineers in the sports industry--a great guide! -- University of Notre Dame, February 2004
This is a well written, excellent manuscript that would be a great addition to any school or home library. -- U.S. Olympic Committee, April 2004
This was a joy to read. The information was accurate, detailed--perfect for anyone interested in this field. -- Nike Sports Research Lab, March 2004
From the Publisher
For many young people who have a love of sports and engineering, they may not know that the two can go hand in hand. Now they can learn just how to integrate the two in High Tech Hot Shots: Careers in Sports Engineering, published by NSPE.
Author Celeste Baine offers students in middle school and high school, as well as college students who have not yet decided on a major, an opportunity to explore the stories of engineers who work in the sports industry to design products for athletes and spectators. "This is for the kid who is into sports, but may not see him or herself becoming an athlete and has a strong interest in math and science," she says.
The meshing of classical engineering and sports science can be found when engineers of various disciplines use technology to design equipment that will improve an athlete's performance or enhance safety, build a new and improved scoreboard, or a build stadium for the next Olympics.
Baine, an NSPE member who has also authored Is There an Engineer Inside You? and The Fantastical Engineer, found herself drifting into almost undiscovered territory as she conducted research for the book. "There was so little information about this industry, but about every single sports company hires engineers," she says.
She offers details on the ins and outs of working in the industry in the areas of skateboarding, bowling, golf, inline skating, baseball, football, tennis, fishing, skiing, snowboarding, skeleton racing, bicycling, swimming, and more.
Baine, who received a degree in electronic engineering technology from Heald Institute of Technology and a B.S. in biomedical engineering from Louisiana Tech University, says that readers of the book can benefit both professionally and personally when they get involved with a company that specializes in a sport that they know and love.
High Tech Hot Shots offers many resources that, with some effort, could result in the opportunity to meet engineers willing to discuss their careers or possibly even an internship or shadowing opportunity.
Although this book is geared toward young people, engineers already in the prime of their careers can also find many uses for the book. Perhaps they can take that love of football or golfing and transition into a sports-related position or use it as a tool to mentor future engineers.
"The more ways that we can show what engineers do, the better our profession can be," says Baine
