Gamecock Track & Cross Country Welcomes Chris Watson as Athletic Trainer
Watson will oversee all medical services for both programs
COLUMBIA, S.C. — The University of South Carolina track & field and cross country programs are proud to welcome Chris Watson as their newest athletic trainer. Watson will oversee all medical services for both programs.
“It’s good to have Chris on board with our program. He’s Carolina-bred, which is always a plus, to have folks working with your team who are already part of the Gamecock family,” head coach Curtis Frye said. “I’m especially happy that Chris has a background in track & field. Our sport is more unique than many people realize, so it’s important to have someone with track experience. He’s a winner, and our student-athletes are going to benefit from having him as a part of our team.”
“I am very excited to be able to call myself a Gamecock again,” Watson said. “When leaving South Carolina, I always hoped to return back to this great state, and the Carolina track & field and cross country programs were very high on my list of dream jobs. I honestly could not have imagined that it would only take three short years to return to Columbia and work with this team. I look forward to working with all of our student-athletes and hope to make an impact both on and off the track.”
Watson graduated cum laude from Carolina in 2015 with a B.S. in athletic training. During his time as a Carolina student, he served as a student athletic trainer with the track & field program while also assisting with football and women’s soccer. Watson was a teaching assistant for various athletic training classes while working on his undergraduate degree, and he also served as the treasurer for the South Carolina Athletic Training Student Association for two years.
After graduating from Carolina, Watson spent two seasons at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, La. Watson earned his M.S. in kinesiology from Louisiana Tech while serving on staff as a graduate assistant athletic trainer. In Ruston, Watson was the primary medical contact for the Bulldog and Lady Techster cross country and track & field teams. He also worked with football and softball and coordinated Louisiana Tech’s preseason functional screenings, working with the strength & conditioning staff to detect and correct muscular imbalances and biomechanical issues.
Watson also has experience working at the University of Kansas, the USC Campus Recreation Department and the Boston Marathon. He was named Carolina’s Most Outstanding Athletic Training Student in 2015 and was awarded the Scottye Hedstrom Memorial Athletic Training Scholarship in 2014. He is a member of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association and holds eight professional certifications.
The Carolina cross country season begins Saturday, Sept. 1, when the Gamecocks host the 2018 Carolina Challenge. The 2019 track & field schedule will be released in the coming weeks and will feature five home meets, including three competitions at the team’s renovated indoor facility.
