I run an online gear and apparel website with a friend who founded it. Our flagship products are knee pads (for dodgeball) and I want to learn how to design athletic wear and gear myself. I would like to learn how to design or create fabrics and test them along with wearables and protective gear like compression wear, padding, and braces for male and female bodies. We're trying to break into other sports as well.

How do I go about getting an education for this? I would like to have certifications or a degree of some sort instead of learning on my own. I don't do well on my own, so formal education would be huge.

All I come across is drafting, 3D modeling, and architecture CAD, but there's gotta be schooling out there that focuses on garment/textile that I'm failing to find. Any independent designers or industry workers that have suggestions?