The USM professor represents the USA field hockey team

on Thursday 18.5.2023 – 10:16 | Author: Van Arnold

Acclaimed Australian field hockey standout Tristan Clemons officially retired from the sport he loved in 2018. Or so he thought.

Clemons, an assistant professor in the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) School of Polymer Science and Engineering, is back in action in a big way as he prepares to make his debut with the USA Field Hockey Team in June at Pan American Hockey. 5s WC qualifiers.

Clemons joined the USM faculty in the fall of 2021. His research focuses on the development of polymer materials for drug delivery and regenerative medicine applications. Whether doing research in a lab on the Hattiesburg campus or defending the goal for her USA teammates, Clemons approaches both with vigor.

I am truly excited for the opportunity and grateful for the support of Southern Miss thus far in allowing me to achieve this dream,” Clemons said. 2023 will be an exciting year for the Wolves (US Mens Field Hockey Team) at the Hockey 5s Qualifier in Jamaica in June and then the focus will shift towards the Pan American Games in Santiago later this year as our Olympic Qualifier.

Clemons, who hails from Bunbury, a small town in Western Australia, had an extensive playing career with the Australian men’s national team, representing his country 51 times as a goalkeeper. He played in several major tournaments around the world, while combining his athletic abilities with his research goals, which led to his Ph.D. and Ph.D.

In 2018, Clemons retired from hockey to pursue a fellowship opportunity in the United States at Northwestern University’s School of Chemistry in Evanston, Illinois, before moving to Hattiesburg in 2021 to become a faculty member at USM.

To be honest, when I retired from the Kookaburras in 2018 I thought my playing days were behind me, but last year I was in California and met the coach just to express my interest in helping the team. special goalie coaching, said Clemons.

He added that because I am a dual citizen of the United States (Clemons’ father grew up in Michigan), I became eligible to play for the United States after four years out of international competition, so coach Harendra Singh said he did not want me to coach; he wanted me to play! That was the conversation that basically planted the seed that maybe this was an opportunity for me. Fast forward 12 months. and I’m in training camp in Chula Vista (California) with the team and now I’m looking forward to my debut with the US team really exciting.

Clemons derives immense joy and satisfaction from serving as the goalkeeper for Team USA.

I love being a goalkeeper. You’re the last line of defense, and the team often relies on you to stand up and be at your best when your best is called for in pressure situations, Clemons said.

Clemons is proud to be a role model for her research group, the Clemons Lab, and for those she teaches at USM.

I think it’s really important to show our students that being a scientist isn’t just about wearing a white coat and messing around with chemicals, he said. That’s certainly part of it, and I love being a scientist and finding solutions to the diseases and injuries our community faces, but I also love being an elite athlete and being a role model for our students that science and sports don’t have to be mutually exclusive. there is something between us that makes me proud.

He continued: I think team sports teach us so much about discipline, resilience, leadership and teamwork, all skills that will definitely enhance my ability to be the best version of myself as a researcher and teacher to my students in my role. here at Southern Miss.

Few colleges or universities below the Mason-Dixon Line offer field hockey programs. Clemons hopes to see a change sooner rather than later.

I think field hockey is definitely coming to the southern United States and I would like to be a part of growing the game here, he said. It has a lot of popularity at the club and collegiate level in the rest of the United States and definitely around the world, so I hope to be able to contribute to building that profile in Mississippi.

Visit at USA Field Hockey team website to learn more.