Tiffany Watson '95

After blazing across soccer fields at Harding a decade ago, today Tiffany Watson ’95 is blazing a trail professionally. She is designing the first-ever sport psychology class at Belmont University in Nashville, teaching in a field that’s gaining attention among athletes at all levels. Tiffany’s athleticism and education are a great foundation for advancing a discipline that she described as “applying the principles of mental preparation and behavioral aspects to competitive sport and exercise.” At Harding, she played soccer, basketball, and softball and ran track one year. She was the only freshman to make the varsity soccer team at Harpeth Hall, where she was named Mid-State Player of the Year as a sophomore. A back injury her senior year forced Watson to play club soccer instead of varsity at the University of Richmond, where she received a bachelor’s degree in psychology. At Georgia Southern University, she earned a master’s degree in kinesiology with a specialization in sport psychology. Currently, she’s completing her dissertation for a doctoral degree in human performance from Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU). As an adjunct professor at Belmont and a golf teacher at MTSU, Tiffany Watson is helping students and athletes better understand the importance of psychological training. “Practicing focus, learning how to relax, and visualizing yourself succeeding can be as important as strength training,” she explained. Watson said finding herself now in education is a reflection of how much she enjoyed her own school years— especially at Harding. “I loved Spirit Week and the relationships I built with teachers,” she said. “Harding motivated me to explore many things, and to stretch in reaching my potential.”