Ep. 202: Dr. Jen Fry on Being an Older Doctoral Student and Black Woman Athletes Competing Overseas
Jen Fry
Ph.D. in Sports Geography
Michigan state University
Sports and geography are deeply interconnected, often more so than most of us realize. From the ways that location impacts your fanbase as a sports team to how your identity as a Black female athlete shapes your experiences when competing overseas, there are seemingly endless ways in which sport and geography intersect. Today’s guest, Dr. Jen Fry, has done hugely important work in the field of sports geography, and by all accounts could be considered to be the only Black female sports geographer in the world. Dr. Fry is a veteran volleyball coach and social justice educator, whose recent dissertation focused on the experiences of Black female volleyball players competing in Europe and was written to serve as a guide to players competing abroad. In our conversation, Dr. Fry describes her fascinating trajectory from coaching collegiate volleyball for over 15 years, to earning her second master's and pursuing public speaking, before deciding to pursue her Ph.D. in sports geography from Michigan State University. She describes the conditions that prompted her to leave coaching behind, how her love of travel helped her make a shift in her career, and why we should all try to be less afraid of being a beginner. Dr. Fry goes on to share her advice for older students, the benefits of gaining experience outside of higher education, and why you shouldn’t be intimidated by younger doctoral candidates. She also emphasizes the importance of finding supervisors and chairs who have the time to care about you and your work, and why it’s so much more valuable than choosing one based on status. Be sure to tune in to learn all about Dr. Fry’s fascinating journey, along with key insights on how to make decisions when pursuing your Ph.D.!
Connect with Dr. Fry on social media @Jenfrytalks or visit her website.
Key Points From This Episode:
Get to know today’s guest, Jen Fry, and how she fell in love with coaching athletes.
Why Jen decided to leave coaching after 15 years.
Jen’s love of travel and how it helped her make a shift in her career.
Colin Kaepernick’s decision to kneel during the national anthem in 2016 and how it impacted the work Jen was doing at the time.
Some of the career avenues that Jen explored after leaving coaching, including public speaking.
Jen’s decision to get her Ph.D. after completing her second master's and the overwhelmingly positive experience she had at Michigan State University.
How Jen advertised herself as a self-sufficient student who could take care of herself.
An overview of Jen’s research into the experience of Black female volleyball players in Europe.
Jen’s unique positioning as the only Black, female, sports geographer in the world and how she essentially started her own sub-sub discipline.
Why Jen believes you shouldn’t choose your school based on the status of their chair.
The importance of having a supervisor who has the time to care about you.
An overview of the discipline of sports geography and Jen’s dissertation project.
The steps Jen took to ensure her dissertation would be accessible for athletes.
How her dissertation serves as a guide to Black female athletes competing overseas.
Jen shares her thoughts on Brittney Griner’s horrific experience, her recent release from a Russian prison, and what can be learned from this incident.
What Jen would have done differently on her doctoral journey to save herself time.
Why you shouldn’t let yourself be intimidated by younger students if you’re an older student returning to do your Ph.D.
How to choose your chair if you’re a queer or non-binary student.
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