how it all started
As a young girl, I always loved learning. Whether it was in school or soccer, I truly could not get enough. So much so, that when I was in first grade and completed my homework, I would be so sad to be done that I would erase it and redo it; yes, I realize that this is not normal behavior. Fast forward many, many years, and my love for learning is still deeply rooted in who I am today. Now though, I have the privilege and opportunity to take what I have learned all of these years,
the information gleaned being able to access and translate complex sport research, my experience as a former Division 1 soccer player, ECNL soccer coach, and Clemson University professor and share it with others. While coaching youth female athletes and then working with Clemson athletics, I realized that as athletes we know a lot about our sport, but there is still so much to learn that can help individuals excel both on and off of the field… and this is how SportPhD came about. I wanted to help bridge these games. Now, I am grateful for the opportunity to help you or your athlete develop off of the field as much as on.
Founder, SportPhD | Co-Founder, The Athlete Mindset
Dr. Kishi Smith-Rey is an Assistant Professor of Sport Communication in the Department of Communication and a faculty fellow at the Robert H. Brooks Sport Science Institute at Clemson University. Originally from Southern California, she attended CSU, Fullerton as a first-generation student with a full scholarship to play Division I soccer. After her collegiate career, she went on to coach two club soccer teams at the ECNL level. She earned her master’s at California State University, Fullerton and her Ph.D. at Chapman University in Orange County. Her passion for creativity and message design, combined with sports, health, and research led her to begin this company to help athletes and stakeholders become more knowledgeable about every facet of sports.
When telling one of her best friends, Erin Cleveland about her idea, they realized they both had so much to offer young female athletes. Together, they decided to create The Athlete Mindset, a collaboration between The Movement Doctors and SportPhD that educates female youth athlete on both their body and mind in relation to sports. Although Kishi loves working, when she’s not, she is playing with her three dogs, watching a Premier League soccer game, enjoying coffee, or working out at her local Lagree studio.
Rikishi Smith-Rey, Ph.D.
Erin Cleveland, PT, DPT
Founder, The Movement Doctors | Co-Founder, The Athlete Mindset
Dr. Erin Cleveland is a licensed Doctor of Physical Therapy and the co-founder of The Movement Doctors, a sports and orthopedic physical therapy clinic based in Easley, South Carolina. She earned her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), where she developed a deep commitment to evidence-based care and lifelong movement health.
Erin specializes in helping active adults, athletes, and weekend warriors recover from injuries, improve performance, and move with confidence. She believes in combining expert-level clinical care with a personal, down-to-earth approach that meets patients where they are.
In addition to her clinical work, Erin is a proud mom to Quinn and Jack (ages 3 and 6), and she brings that same care and tenacity into every aspect of her professional life. Whether she’s on the clinic floor or at home with her family, Erin is passionate about building strength, resilience, and connection, one movement at a time.
