Mission
The Center for Sports Engineering and Performance advances engineering-driven research and innovation to solve the most pressing technical challenges facing the sports industry.
The Center unites expertise in mechanics, materials, sensing, measurement, modeling and human performance to:
- Design and validate next-generation sports equipment and systems
- Enhance athlete performance, safety and resilience
- Develop objective measurement and standards-based solutions for leagues and governing bodies
- Translate research into deployable technologies
- Train the next generation of engineers and researchers in sports performance systems
Leveraging UMass Lowell’s long-standing leadership in sports engineering and its collaborative R1 research environment, the Center serves as a national hub where engineering rigor meets the world of sports.
Vision
To be the leading center for sports engineering in the United States—advancing the science, technology and engineered systems that define performance, safety and fairness in sport—while serving as the trusted research partner for leagues, governing bodies, sporting goods companies and elite teams worldwide.
INSPIRE Framework
The Center for Sports Engineering follows the INSPIRE framework:
- Integrated Sports Performance: Evaluating athlete–equipment–environment interactions to inform performance, safety, and return-to-play decisions.
- Innovation: Developing and translating new technologies, testing methods, and solutions to meet evolving industry and sport needs.
- Research: Delivering rigorous, data-driven insights that support product development, standards, and evidence-based decision-making.
- Engineering: Applying integrated experimental and computational engineering methods to comprehensively analyze, design, and validate sports equipment and performance systems.