When Joseph Dick (BSM ’21, MA ’24) first stepped on campus in 2017, it wasn’t the fresh start he imagined.

While he enjoyed his studies, he struggled to find his feet socially.

“That was a very dark year for me,” he said. “But I loved what I was studying, and that’s what kept me going.”

Fast forward to Friday, Oct. 18, and Dick received a Master of Arts in Applied Health Sciences with a specialization in Sport Management during Brock’s 116th Convocation. He graduated with a Bachelor of Sport Management in 2021.

The milestone moment is a testament to his perseverance and a reflection of how his time at Brock transformed his life in more ways than one, from igniting a passion for research to rekindling his love of running.

After skipping his first year on the Brock cross country team, Dick was unsure whether he would return to running. A well-timed email from then-coach Emily Allan in the summer after his first year changed that.

“That email got me running again,” Dick said.

He made the team in his second year and soon found a sense of belonging on the team that was pivotal to his personal growth.

He credits teammate Jacques Tiessen and coach Kevin Moore for pushing him beyond his comfort zone.

“Jacques really showed me what it meant to dedicate myself to the sport, and Kevin was instrumental in my development both as a runner and a person,” he said.

Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, including a heartbreaking performance at the Ontario University Athletics Cross Country Championships that forced him to re-evaluate his approach to competition, Dick continued to push forward.

“That moment taught me to focus less on not messing up and more on what I truly value,” he said.

His academic journey was notably shaped by Associate Professor of Sport Management Craig Hyatt, whose fourth-year course on consumer ignited Dick’s passion for research.

“I took the challenge of his class, known as one of the hardest in the program, and it set me on the path toward a master’s degree,” Dick said.

The course provided him with a new lens through which to understand sport and its impact on fans.

Dick’s master’s research focused on how sport fandom can be seen as a pseudo-religious phenomenon, a perspective he believes can help sport marketers better understand and segment their audiences.

His work with the Niagara River Lions during the summer of 2023, where he provided the team with strategic marketing recommendations aimed at deepening fan loyalty, exemplifies his practical approach to research.

“It was all about finding those points of attachment that fans rated most strongly and using them to build stronger identification with the team,” he said.

Dick, who is considering pursuing a PhD and possibly coaching cross-country in the future, is keen to integrate the lessons he’s learned from both research and running.

Looking back on his time at Brock, he is grateful for the transformative role the University has played in his life.

“Brock has given me so much more than just a degree,” he said. “It’s shaped who I am and how I approach life. I’ve grown as a student, an athlete and a person.”