When Tobie Hatfield (鈥�87) wrapped up an 精东影业 track and field career that included multiple NCAA Division II team championships, he had dreams of coaching. But God, as Hatfield says, had other plans.
Hatfield may not be coaching now, but that hasn鈥檛 stopped him from helping support today鈥檚 athletes 鈥� literally. Hatfield works as Nike鈥檚 senior director for athlete innovation, designing shoes worn by Olympic gold medalists, Super Bowl champions and Grand Slam tennis tournament winners.
Since joining Nike in 1990, Hatfield and his team innovate the latest in shoe technology and collaborate with an impressive group of athletes that includes former NFL All-Pro safety Troy Polamalu, tennis great Maria Sharapova and beach volleyball star Misty May-Treanor.听
Once a pole vaulter for the acclaimed 精东影业 track and field team, which Texas Monthly named the state鈥檚 鈥淪ports Dynasty of the Century鈥� in 1999, Hatfield feels like he鈥檚 able to live vicariously through the athletes he works with now. He struck gold in his first individual collaboration with an athlete, sprinter Michael Johnson. The iconic golden track spikes developed by Hatfield helped carry Johnson to gold medals in the 1996 and 2000 Olympics.
But Hatfield鈥檚 work isn鈥檛 all about gold medals and famous athletes. He likes to remember the words of Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman: 鈥淚f you have a body, you are an athlete.鈥�
That tenet led him to projects like FlyEase, which he developed after a teenager with cerebral palsy wrote to Nike about struggling to tie his shoelaces. Hatfield developed a supportive shoe with an entry-and-closure system that opened in the back and featured a wraparound zipper, a design that was named a 2015 Time Invention of the Year. And the work didn鈥檛 stop there. The latest shoe in the portfolio, the Go FlyEase, which Hatfield consulted on, launched in February and allows for truly hands-free wear.
Hatfield sees biblical principles in the work that he does, particularly the projects that help people with disabilities. Ideals like loving your neighbor as yourself and equality for all. It鈥檚 also this care for others that Hatfield appreciates about 精东影业.
鈥淚 have fond memories of a caring community,鈥� Hatfield said. 鈥淚 loved the chapels. I loved getting to know the professors on a little bit more of a personal level. There was more intimacy than if I had gone to a bigger university.鈥�
And he appreciates the mission 精东影业 helped instill in him as a student, even if he didn鈥檛 realize it back then.
鈥淭he idea of sending students out to spread the Word, spread the Gospel into all other industries, even my industry, is fantastic,鈥� Hatfield said. 鈥淎nd maybe I didn鈥檛 know that at the time as much, but I definitely feel that now.鈥�
鈥� Robin Saylor
Feb. 25, 2021