Paige Leonard began serving New York University Athletics in the areas of Performance Science/Data Analytics in September 2026.
A sports scientist and human performance specialist, Leonard bridges the gap between empirical data and athletic performance, translating complex biomechanical and physiological metrics into actionable training and recovery strategies for collegiate student-athletes.
Prior to joining NYU, Leonard worked in professional sports as an Athletic Performance Assistant in Strength & Conditioning/Sports Science for the San Antonio Spurs. In the NBA, her role centered on managing end-to-end sports science technologies—including athletic profiling, player tracking, and physiological assessments—while maintaining data accuracy, developing predictive models, and coordinating return-to-play initiatives alongside athletic trainers, physical therapists, and coaches.
Leonard began her academic journey at Xavier University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology. Seeking to combine behavioral insights with human movement, she went on to complete a Master of Science degree in Exercise Physiology at the University of Louisville, where she gained hands-on experience as a Strength & Conditioning and Sports Science Intern, integrating technology like Catapult GPS and force plates to assess training loads for both the men’s and women’s basketball programs.
Continuing her work in collegiate athletics, Leonard served as a Strength & Conditioning and Sports Science Fellow at the University of Connecticut, focusing extensively on the UConn Women’s Basketball team. At UConn, she led Catapult data management and combined platforms like Sparta Science and Tableau to model injury risk, optimize performance analysis, and support individualized athlete training protocols.
Beyond her practical work, Leonard is an active contributor to the broader strength and conditioning community. Certified as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), she has presented her sports science research at major industry gatherings, including the CSCC and NSCA annual conferences. Her expertise spans athlete monitoring systems, Smartabase, velocity-based training (VBT), and biomechanical reporting.
A native of Colorado Springs, CO, Leonard resides in Brooklyn, NY.
