Melody Chambers graduated from Clemson in 2024 with a B.S. in Marketing and minors in Sports Communication and Brand Communications. She received the Markvan Bellamy Brooks Endowed Scholarship in 2024. During her time at Clemson, she worked with the Clemson University Athletic Department as a Clemson University Marketing Intern and a Client Services Intern.
How have you utilized your major/concentration in sports to help your career?
My degree has been invaluable in building the foundation for my career in sports. Courses like Sports Marketing I & II with Amanda Cooper Fine taught me the strategy behind brand partnerships, fan engagement, and sponsorship activation – all concepts I apply daily. Those classes, paired with real-world projects integrated into other core courses, helped me develop both the hard and soft skills needed to succeed in the industry.
What is your current role, where, and what do you do?
Melody Chambers assisting an in-stadium experience for fans
I am the Coordinator of Partnership Activation for the Milwaukee Brewers. I manage key relationships between our corporate partners and the club, helping bring their brands to life through on-site activations, in-stadium experiences, and community initiatives that connect with Brewers fans and the greater Milwaukee community.
What was your journey like since graduating from Clemson?
After graduating from Clemson, I pursued my MBA from the University of South Florida while working as a Partnerships Fellow with the Tampa Bay Lighting. I joined the Milwaukee Brewers full-time in July of 2025, where I now support our Partnership Activation team during an exciting time for the organization.
What advice would you give to future Brooks scholars as they approach post-grad?
Be confident in your journey and trust the timing of your path. Take the time to build genuine relationships, ask thoughtful questions, and stay open to opportunities that stretch you beyond your comfort zone. Lastly, keep showing up with curiosity, humility, and gratitude; it will take you farther than you ever expect.
Lauren Crumley was a former Events Lead intern with the Robert H. Brooks Sports Science Institute. After graduating from Clemson, she is now a Corporate Partnerships Associate for USRowing, the national governing body for rowing in the US.
What does your job as a Corporate Partnerships Associate look like?
I get to work with a lot of different people both inside and outside of USRowing in my role. Internally, I am on the development team where our primary focus is growing USRowing resources especially as we look ahead to the 2028 Olympics. I also work very closely with our marketing and communications and competition teams. With the marketing and communications team, I work to ensure all of our partner deliverables are met (email marketing, social media etc). I also manage all of our vendors and sponsors at our regional and national championship regattas so I work very closely with our competition team for that. Externally, we have a wide range of sponsors at USRowing who I get to work with. We talk frequently with our sponsors to manage and strengthen our partnership.
How have you taken what you learned with the Institute into what you’re doing now?
My internship at the Institute was in events, which is an area I have a lot of touchpoint with in my role. Events have a lot of moving parts and different stakeholders, and handling that is something that the Institute helped me learn and that I take into my work now.
What are your future plans looking like?
We’re very excited at USRowing for the Olympics to be in the US in less than three years and to have our national team competing on the world stage in LA. A lot of organizational strategy and work comes with that focus and look to the future.
What advice would you give to current students regarding the Institute?
Apply for an internship with the Institute. The ability to have an internship during the semester on campus while taking classes is rare and not necessarily available at a lot of places like it is at Clemson, so definitely take advantage.
Scarlett Lawhorne graduated from Clemson in 2021 with a degree in Recreational Therapy. She received the Markvan Bellamy Brooks Endowed Scholarship in 2020. During her time at Clemson, she interned with Clemson Campus Recreation as a fitness assistant and a recreation specialist to help grow her skills in the recreational therapy field.
How have you utilized your major/concentration in sports to help your career?
Recreational therapy enhances my role by helping me design inclusive programs that support physical, emotional, and social well-being. I use therapeutic recreation techniques to adapt activities so that individuals of all abilities can participate fully and confidently. Whether it’s through adaptive sports, inclusive camps, or community events, I focus on creating environments where everyone feels valued and engaged. This approach strengthens community connections and aligns with the core mission of parks and recreation — to serve all.
What is your current role and where are you located?
As the Adaptive and Inclusive Recreation Coordinator for Pasco County Parks, Recreation and Natural Recourses in Florida, I use recreational therapy to design and deliver programs that promote inclusion, wellness, and community connection. Through the P.A.I.R. program’s five pillars — Adaptive Recreation, Para Sports, RECreate Your Mind: Mental Health Awareness, Cultural and Consciousness Programming, and Accessible Recreation — I apply therapeutic recreation strategies to meet diverse needs and remove barriers to participation. Recreational therapy is not just a tool — it’s the foundation for building a more inclusive parks and recreation system.
What was your journey like since graduating from Clemson?
Since graduating, I’ve had the privilege of working with Pasco County Parks, Recreation, and Natural Resources, where I’ve grown both personally and professionally. Starting my career here allowed me to dive directly into inclusive programming and community engagement. Over the years, I’ve developed and led initiatives through the P.A.I.R. program, focusing on accessibility, adaptive sports, mental health, and cultural awareness. Along the way, I’ve built strong relationships with coworkers, community partners, and participants — all of whom have shaped and inspired my work. It’s been a rewarding journey rooted in service, innovation, and a passion for creating spaces where everyone belongs.
What advice would you give to future Brooks Scholars as they approach post-grad?
As you step into your career, stay open to learning and lean into every opportunity to grow — even the small ones. Build genuine connections with your coworkers and community; those relationships will become your greatest support system and source of inspiration. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, try new things, and advocate for inclusion wherever you go. Most importantly, remember that your passion and purpose will guide you — trust it. Keep learning, stay curious, and remember: impact often starts with simply being present.
Kyler Bose was a former Events Lead intern with the Robert H. Brooks Sports Science Institute. After graduating from Clemson in December 2024 she began working for the City of Clemson in their Parks and Recreation Department as the Community Programs Coordinator. Here, she plans and executes large-scale special events for the city. Blose hopes to one day be a manager or director of her own events department.
What does your job as Community Programs Coordinator look like?
Every day is different. I plan and execute many of our large-scale special events, such as our upcoming Halloween event, “Trick or Treat on College Ave”, but I also do a lot with our senior citizen programs and youth programming. During the summer, I am the Assistant Director for Camp Clemson -a six week summer day camp for ages 5-10 years old- and the Assistant Director of TREC-our four week teen camp for ages 11-13 years old. I also handle a majority of vendor coordination for events and program registrations when I am not at an event or working on special projects throughout the year.
Former RHBSSI intern, Kyler Blose, poses with a colleague at Clemson’s first senior bingo event of the fall.
How have you taken what you learned with the Institute into what you’re doing now?
During my time as the Events Leader with the Institute, I learned a lot about what taking lead looks like and how to appropriately communicate your needs to people outside of your team. It really honed my skills on vendor communication and event scheduling, especially since I was the one tasked with arranging catering, decorations, finding a vendor for mini golf and a ton of other moving parts. I am not afraid to be specific and be direct, but also ensure that I remain professional, respectful, and open minded at all times.
What are your future plans looking like?
I hope to continue building my career portfolio and take on bigger projects in the next year. I think that I would like to become a manager or director over my own Programs and Events department someday. My current goal is to become a manager in the next two years. There is a lot of growth happening in this field and I have so many ideas for what the future of event planning can look like.
What advice would you give to current students regarding the Institute?
I like to think that the Institute gave me the extra push I needed to pursue my current career. It builds you up as a professional and forces you to take on new challenges. Never be afraid to say yes to a project or ask for help, the Institute is a tool and a valuable resource for other organizations but it is also a learning experience for you as well. Joining RBHSSI as their Events Lead was the best decision I ever made and played a huge role in shaping me as a professional.
Michael Cloer graduated from Clemson in 2023 with a dual bachelor’s in mechanical engineering and math, with a minor in computer science. He received the Markvan Bellamy Brooks Endowed Scholarship in 2022. He wanted to arm himself with the tools to develop and utilize physically-informed models of vehicle performance.
How have you utilized your major/concentration in sports to help your career?
My dual engineering and math background provided the analytical foundation essential for simulation work in Formula 1. The mathematical modeling skills and engineering principles directly translate to vehicle dynamics simulation and performance optimization.
What is your current role and where are you located?
I work as a simulation performance engineer at Oracle Red Bull Racing, where I develop and run computational models to optimize car performance. I look most closely at using our simulations to understand the operational envelope of the vehicle, and to identify the important factors in future car development.
What was your journey like since graduating from Clemson?
After graduating from Clemson, I moved from the United States to the UK to pursue my master’s in Motorsports Engineering at Cranfield University.
What advice would you give to future Brooks Scholars as they approach post-grad?
I would advise people to form a clear picture of what their goals are in the short and long term, so that they can concentrate their efforts on walking that path. Having this clarity helps you make strategic decisions about your education and career moves.
Peter Gaspich is a current Automotive Engineering student graduating in May 2026. He received the Markvan Bellamy Brooks Endowed Scholarship in 2024. He is currently the Suspension Division Lead for Clemson Formula SAE, leading a team of student engineers, and over the summer he was a General Motors Motorship Tires R&D Intern in Concord, North Carolina.
How have you utilized your major/concentration in sports to help you throughout internships?
Most of the skills I use today were gained from my experience as the Suspension Lead for Clemson Formula SAE. My involvement gave me valuable experience in vehicle dynamics, simulation, team management, data analysis, vehicle tuning, and so much more. Almost every skill I apply at work was gained from my experience on the team. I also have the Department of Automotive Engineering to thank to help give me the connections and interpersonal skills needed to excel in the industry.
What was your internship and where were you located?
The track in Iowa
Over the summer I was a Motorsports Tire R&D Intern at General Motors. My role involved testing, modeling, and simulating tire performance to better predict and optimize vehicle performance going into the race weekend. GM Motorsports has afforded me a unique opportunity to work in a variety of series, including NASCAR, Cadillac LMDh in IMSA/WEC, and even the brand new TWG-Cadillac F1 Team!
What advice would you give to future Brooks Scholars as they approach post-grad?
While I haven’t graduated, I would encourage anyone pursuing a career in motorsports to never be intimidated and remain dedicated to their passion. The most important factor in my success wasn’t my GPA or my proficiency in mathematics, physics, dynamics, or any other schoolwork, it was my dedication to my passion and my willingness to sacrifice my time to participate in a hands-on motorsports experience, such as Formula SAE. A crucial skill in any engineering field is knowing how to apply your knowledge, which from my experience, is a skill that cannot be learned within the limits of the classroom.
The Robert H. Brooks Sports Science Institute is thrilled to welcome several new Clemson faculty members to its cohort of Faculty Fellows.
SUSAN LIMBER, Ph.D., MLS
Dan Olweus Professor, Department of Psychology
Dr. Limber is an Emeritus Professor in the Department of Psychology. Prior to her retirement in 2025, she was named the Dan Olweus Professor, highlighting her significant contributions to furthering the work of the late Dan Olweus, a pioneer in bullying prevention work. Dr. Limber is a developmental psychologist who also holds a Master’s of Legal Studies. Her nearly 25 years of research focus on psychological and legal issues related to bullying among children, as well as youth civic engagement, and children’s rights. She co-authored the book, Cyberbullying: Bullying in the Digital Age, in 2008. Awarded by the American Psychological Association (APA), she is a recipient of the Early Career Award for Distinguished Contributions to Psychology in the Public Interest. Before coming to Clemson, Dr. Limber was the Associate Director at the Institute for Families in Society at the University of South Carolina. She also provided consultation to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on bullying prevention efforts from 2001-2016. Now, she serves as the Graduate Program Director for a PhD in International Family & Community Studies.
KATHRYN KISSKA-SCHULZE, JD, LL.M.
Associate Professor, School of Accountancy
Kisska-Schulze is the Elliott Davis Associate Professor and Associate Director of the Powers College of Business, School of Accountancy. She launched the School of Accountancy’s first Sports Law course in 2024. Her research focuses on the amateur and collegiate sports arena, with particular emphasis given to various tax consequences that could impact the amateur sports industry as it continues to evolve. Kisska-Schulze has published 13 sports-related research articles to date, including one titled “Brute Force (Anti) Federalism,” which won the Holmes-Cardozo Award in 2022. This premier research award is granted by the Academy of Legal Studies in Business. She has been invited to present her research or speak on sports law issues at Oklahoma Law School, UC Irvine Law, and various other schools across the country. Previously, she served for three years as Chair of the Sports and Entertainment Law Section of the internationally recognized Academy of Legal Studies in Business. Additionally, Kisska-Schulze now sits on Clemson’s Faculty Athletic Council.
ETHAN KUNG, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Departments of Mechanical Engineering and Bioengineering
Kung is an Associate Professor jointly appointed in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Bioengineering. His interdisciplinary research on aspects of cardiovascular biomechanics intersects with athletic performance and human physiology. Kung was awarded the National Science Foundation CAREER Award to develop an experimental-computational hybrid modeling framework of the cardiovascular system. This framework can be applied to better understand the complex relationship between exercise and body mechanics. His research has gained supportive funding from the American Heart Association, the Children’s Heart Foundation, and Saving Tiny Hearts Society. Additionally, he is an associate editor for the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Journal of Biomechanical Engineering and serves on the Executive Committee of the ASME’s Bioengineering Division.
ALEX CHISHOLM, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Teaching and Learning
Chisholm is as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning. He brings over fifteen years of experience teaching various social sciences in K-12, as well as mentorship experience at the University of Georgia. Chisholm’s research primarily focuses on black social studies, race in education, and civic education. His work explores the relationship between sports and societal development. A top journal in his field, The Social Studies Journal, recently published his article titled “Beyond the Standard: Teaching Civic Engagement Through Black Athlete Activism and Resistance.” At Clemson, Chisholm is also the Secondary Social Studies Student-Teaching Coordinator.
Clemson faculty and staff making contributions to the sports field, broadly defined, are invited to apply to become members of the Institute. Fellows meet twice annually, collaborate on multi-disciplinary projects and are eligible to receive additional funding from RHBSSI for their work. Click here to view the full list of fellows and click here to learn more about becoming a Brooks Fellow.
To kick off the fall 2025 semester, the Robert H. Brooks Sports Science Institute welcomes three returning and two new interns. These students enter with impressive skills gained from a variety of experiences to offer innovative ideas that will advance the mission of the Institute.
EVY LANE
Evy Lane is a senior Marketing major and Spanish minor from Piedmont, South Carolina. In her third semester with the Institute, she will serve as the Communications Lead, which entails creating a content calendar and editing or posting blogs across RHBSSI social media handles.
This past summer, she got the opportunity to write blog posts for the Institute, allowing her to interview faculty and alumni and further explore writing.
“For this semester, I am so excited to be back on campus and create content with our team that will promote the RHBSSI mission, and to learn new skills to help grow our social media,” Lane said.
LUCY HART
Lucy Hart is a senior graduating in December 2025, studying Sports Management with a double minor in Youth Development and Business Administration. From Piedmont, South Carolina, Hart joins the Institute as the Events Lead intern. Her responsibilities will include coordinating the second annual RECESS Symposium and other campus promotional events.
Most recently, she worked as a Destination Experiences Intern with VisitGreenvilleSC, the Destination Marketing Organization for Greenville, South Carolina. In this role, her main project was managing all the volunteers for the SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament hosted in Greenville.
On campus, Hart also serves as the Vice President of CHANGE, Clemson’s student ethics organization. CHANGE creates ethical programming at the University-wide and college-wide levels while exposing students to real-life applications of ethical decision-making and ethical leadership.
“I am an enthusiastic leader who brings positivity and motivation to any team I work with, and I am very passionate about serving my community and working with people,” Hart said. “I hope to encourage others to help bring the community together.”
GRIFFIN BARFIELD
Returning as Writing and Editing Lead Intern, Griffin Barfield is a senior Sports Communication major and Spanish minor from Oceanport, New Jersey. Barfield will work throughout the semester to produce articles highlighting research outcomes from faculty fellows and other important members of the sports science community.
Barfield is also Sports Editor of The Tiger, Clemson’s Student Newspaper. This role involves managing a team of student reporters to cover a variety of Clemson athletics. Additionally, he will be writing for Clemson Tigers on Sports Illustrated, mainly focusing on Clemson football and recruiting.
“I’m so excited to be returning to the Institute for my final semester at Clemson,” Barfield said. “I was able to learn more about our Brooks Faculty Fellows, and I’m looking forward to telling more stories about the advances that happen around campus.”
KATIE GERBASICH
Katie Gerbasich is a senior Sports Communication major and Women’s Leadership minor from Houston, Texas. She will be the Institute’s co-writer for the fall semester, assisting the team in detailing the stories of sports science endavors.
Gerbasich previously worked with the Institute in the fall of 2024 as an Events & Writing Assistant. Here, she helped organize the first-ever RECESS Symposium and curated posts on faculty members for the Sports Insight Blog.
In the spring, Gerbasich worked with Clemson Baseball’s Sports Analytics team and wrote sports articles for Tiger View Media. These experiences allowed her to explore different avenues of college athletics while expanding her communication skills.
“I’ve loved watching the Institute grow so much in the last year,” Gerbasich said. “I’m so excited to be back, joining this amazing team and further promoting the development of sports sciences.”
KATHERINE MANN
Katherine Mann is a junior Graphic Communications major and a Business Administration minor from Fort Mill, South Carolina. As Graphic Design lead, she will assist the Institute in creating visual elements for social media and branding purposes.
Mann is heavily involved in her sorority, Delta Gamma, on campus. Previously, Mann served as Director of Social Media putting her in charge of their Instagram and TikTok accounts. Now, she is Vice President of Programming where she helps plan the calendar, sisterhood events, alumnae relations, and DEI events.
“I am so excited to put my design skills to test and see them featured on the socials,” Mann said. “I am also hoping I can help with growing the social media and gain more engagement.”
RHBSSI team (from left to right) Dr. John DesJardins, Evelyn Lane, Maria Pocorobba, and Kayla Rogers
By Evelyn Lane
As the Summer semester comes to an end, the interns of the Robert H. Brooks Sport Science Institute share the opportunities and projects they had, as well as giving us a peek as to what they will be doing in the Fall semester. As the summer team was small and spread across the country for much of the semester, these interns were thrust into new and exciting roles and successfully tackled new challenges and tasks in order to uphold the RHBSSI mission and goals.
Maria Pocorobba
Maria Pocorobba is a senior communications major and business and brand communication minor from Albany, New York, who was the Institute’s content creator this summer. She assisted enhancing Institute manuals, designing content, and creating logos for the Robert H. Brooks Sports Science Institute to help communicate effectively with their audience and future interns.
“Working with the Robert H. Brooks Sports Science Institute this summer has been an incredible learning experience. One of my favorite projects was designing the new logo and branding materials for the Institute’s fall research symposium – RECESS. I also had the opportunity to contribute to social media content and assist with the Institute’s promotional video,” Pocorobba said. “Each project challenged me to think creatively, adapt quickly, and sharpen my design skills. It’s been a pleasure to work with such a supportive team, and I’m excited to watch the Institute continue to grow and thrive this year.”
In the Fall semester, Pocorobba will be working with Clemson Athletics as both a Graphic Design Intern and a Marketing/Fan Experience Intern. These positions will help her further develop her creative design skills, gain hands-on experience in the sports industry, and play a meaningful role in enhancing the Clemson fan experience, “I’m grateful for the opportunity to contribute to such a passionate and talented athletic department!”
Evelyn Lane
Evelyn Lane is a senior marketing major and Spanish minor from Piedmont, South Carolina, and was the Institute’s communications lead this summer. She helped format, create and enhance the Insitute’s sports science content through their social channels, along with analyzing analytics to help grow their online presence. She also partook in interviewing RHBSSI faculty fellows and alumni to develop the Sports Insight blog posts highlighiting their research, travels, and career endeavors.
“Getting to continue to work with the Institute this summer has helped me grow in so many different facets of my life and develop new skillsets. Having to take on the role of writing blog posts was so scary at first but I am so thankful now that I tackled it head on,” Lane said. “I got to speak to various members of RHBSSI Faculty Fellows and learn more about their travels around the world which was such an enriching experience for me. I was so lucky to get to learn and write about their stories, because along with learning new things about sports research around the world, I also was able to develop my writing skills and learn how to turn a messy blurb of notes into a cohesive and engaging story for the audience. I am so grateful for the new opportunities I got this summer and will take the skills I learned with me in the future.”
In the Fall semester, Lane will continue with the Institue for a third semester as the communications lead. She is excited to continue growing her communication skills along with learning from her future peers and working with them to enhance and uphold the Institute’s mission.
Throughout the 2025 summer, Robert H. Brooks Sports Science Institute Faculty Fellow and Assistant Professor in the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management, Dr. Felipe Tobar, has been conducting sport research around the world. From Clemson to Germany, Australia and Taiwan, Tobar has taken his passion for soccer and research on the intersection of sport, tourism, history, events, politics, and technology across the world.
Holocaust remembrance connected to German soccer culture
Tobar with members of the Alle zusammen – voran 03! initiative
In early May, Tobar took a group of students from Clemson to Germany to study “the Culture of Remembrance and Political Activism in German Football.” The first stop was Berlin, where they toured the city and its remembrance sites to help students understand that the impact of the Holocaust was not solely confined to concentration camps, but weaved into daily life, including soccer. They also attended the Babelsberg 03 vs. FC Carl Zeiss Jena match and witnessed the “Alle zusammen – voran 03!” initiative (“All Together – Leading 03!”), which is a campaign working to eliminate barriers in the stadium and in the way people think about inclusion in soccer between players with and without disabilities.
The next stop was Bremen, where the group walked around the city learning about the systematic use of forced labor under the Nazi regime and how the local community was fully aware of all crimes, and how political engagement in soccer is a necessity. After the walking tour, they visited Bunker Valentin, which was a Nazi-era submarine bunker, where they reflected on how to understand the victims in the eyes of soccer to present them as fans who never got to support their club again. They also got to tour Werder Bremen and retrace the Nazi-era history. After that tour, they got to witness the Werder Bremen vs RB Leipzig game and interact with locals.
Tobar and hisstudy abroad group at FC St. Pauli
After Bremen, they visited Hamburg, Dortmund, and Cologne, where they visited the FC St. Pauli Museum, HSV Museum, Borussia Dortmund, and the FC Köln Stadium. Not only did they get to experience German culture through soccer matches and stadium and museum tours, but they also gained a deeper understanding of how players, directors, and fans were important in helping build a culture of remembrance.
“Football clubs have the power, and the social responsibility, to remember, speak out, and act.” – Dr. Felipe Tobar
Their last stop was in Munich, where they played street soccer with locals and learned how the game of soccer at any level can teach important values that immigrant youth can take with them throughout their lives and help them adapt to new communities. The group then visited the FC Bayern Museum and reflected on how Bayern players and directors were affected by Nazi ideologies and how Munich played a central role in Hitler’s rise. The students also presented social media campaigns they had created focusing on topics such as racism, religious intolerance, and intersectionality in soccer.
During and after the trip, Tobar initiated two different studies. The first is about stickers. He noticed that around the soccer stadiums, there were stickers everywhere. These can easily be overlooked, but when he looked at these, he saw a version of fan expression, fans communicating their social and political beliefs and how German soccer culture is a vehicle of political activism. The second is a study focused on the benefits of teaching Holocaust history and how German soccer clubs can collaborate with remembrance centers and former concentration camps to attract new audiences and use soccer’s influence to communicate Holocaust history and ensure that it never happens again.
Presentations abroad
Tobar and colleague presenting research at the National Taichung University of Education
Tobar was invited as a visiting researcher and teacher to the National Taichung University of Education in Taiwan, where he had the opportunity to speak at three different undergraduate courses. He shared his experiences working with Paralympic soccer athletes and the importance of respect. He also presented his teaching philosophy, which is one where it is important to promote kindness and learning to create more engaged and curious students.
In Australia, he presented at the 16th International Conference on Sport and Society at Monash University in Melbourne. He presented his paper about English soccer stadiums, specifically Liverpool FC and how the presence of tourists and their use of mobile phones affect the local supporters’ match-day experiences. Through this study, he found that the presence of football tourists and their online engagement can be disruptive to the local football culture. He plans to share these results with both club and English Premier League teams in the future.
American and European soccer research
The Clemson Paralympic Soccer team during their first match
During Clemson’s first-ever Paralympic soccer match, Tobar conducted a survey to understand the perception of players with disabilities. He discovered that 84% of participants had changed their opinions positively towards para-athletes. He also surveyed the perceptions and attitudes of long-term volunteers towards people with disabilities.
Additionally, Tobar has two studies where he focuses on soccer and environmental sustainability. The first follows his attendance at the UEFA EURO, where the institution implemented a €29.6 million investment in environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives. The tournament achieved a 21% reduction in emissions compared to initial forecasts, largely through measures like encouraging public transport and minimizing flights. This study was focused on whether these changes towards sustainability changed fan behavior after the championship.
The second was focused on the Clemson Women’s Soccer team. In 2024, Tobar accompanied the team to Spain, where they observed how facilities and clubs tackle climate change. Now that a year has passed, he is asking 19 players and two managers if they have changed their behaviors and show that the players can have a voice and help others become more environmentally friendly.
The documentary
Tobar and colleague speaking on their documentary in Colombia
Tobar has recently launched his documentary called “The Match That Not Every Club Wants to Play.” This documentary takes viewers to Spain, showing the Real Madrid soccer club and how it attempted to keep its role in the Spanish Civil War a secret. It also takes us to FC St. Pauli in Germany, where the club is a symbol of resistance, and where the fans demand accountability for the club’s Nazi-era past.
Just like Tobar, this documentary is making its way around the world. It debuted at the Tercer Tiempo-Festival Mundial de Cine Futbolero in Bogotá, Colombia, where his father is from. There, he received a “Special Mention” for the quality of the production and thought-provoking investigation. Additionally, it was the first film in six years to have a full-house at the viewing.
Soon, the documentary will be shown at the Sports & Entertainment Film Festival in Birmingham, Alabama, the Festigol, Festival de Cine + Futbol, in Santiago, Chile, and at the Paladino D’Oro in Palermo, Italy, which is the world’s oldest sport film festival.
Coming up…
Following his first documentary, Tobar is in the process of developing another around the unspoken functions of Weserstadion in Bremen during the Nazi regime. The Nazis took it and used Eastern European slaves to build military defense structures. The stadium also facilitated the distribution of furniture from Jewish houses, and even today, much of this furniture is still not found.
Additionally, Tobar is studying how cultures influence how coaches coach their players. He plans to interview professional and collegiate coaches to understand how culture shapes play style. His brother is a coach for the most important Division One team in Ecuador, which is inspiring this study.
He is also working with Master’s students and colleagues from Colombia, Spain, and Chile to take a look at paralympic soccer and analyze how countries organize offensively and defensively. They are asking the question, “What is the best way to win games?” Paralympic players expend three times more energy than normal players, so they work to prove that the best paralympic teams play zone, which allows more conservation of energy, versus a man-to-man structure.
