Whether she’s working with professional teams or supporting community-based sport, Kae Allison’s goal is to break barriers.

Especially as a woman aiming to score a job in football operations after graduation.

Thanks to an opportunity she found on the Sport Management program’s job portal, the fourth-year student is more equipped than ever to succeed in her chosen field.

Allison has spent the summer working with Sport Calgary, an organization that supports community-based sport in the city.

There, she organized large-scale events such as All Sport One Day, which offered youth in the city access to free multi-sport experiences.

“Seeing the joy on kids’ faces when they try something new is remarkedly rewarding,” she says. “It taught me how to authentically connect with communities in sport I hadn’t worked with before.”

It was also an opportunity to return to Alberta, a place she says captured her heart during a four-month internship with the Canadian Football League’s (CFL) Edmonton Elks last summer as part of the Women in Football Program presented by KPMG.

“Alberta has felt like home for the last couple of years,” she says, “but wherever the opportunity is, that’s where I’ll go.”

The role, which she learned about through Assistant Professor Ryan Clutterback, immersed her in the fast-paced, high-stakes world of professional football operations and solidified her passion for the industry.

From booking flights to co-ordinating player contracts, she provided logistical support to ensure the athletes could focus on playing.

“It was hectic, with 16-hour days, but I loved every minute of it and learned more than I ever imagined,” she said.

While the pace, priorities and impact of her CFL and Sport Calgary experiences differed, Allison says each offered “profound lessons” that helped to make her more “adaptable, compassionate and well-rounded.”

Going into final year, she says she is grateful for the industry connections, skills and confidence gained through Brock’s Sport Management program as well as the leadership roles she’s held on campus.

Allison, who originally planned to pursue a career in physical therapy, says applying to the program was a spontaneous decision.

“The courses and professors truly spoke to me in a way that I’d never experienced before and I couldn’t see anything else for my future,” she says.

That play paid off in her first-year Introduction to Sport Management class with Clutterback, who encouraged her to explore the world of professional football as a potential career path.

Soon after, Allison spotted a posting for an executive role to launch women’s flag football at Brock and applied.

“I loved the idea of starting from scratch because there are no expectations and no way to ‘mess it up,’” she says.

She served two years as Vice-President of Brock’s football club before becoming President, helping the team rank among Ontario’s top five.

“My advice to incoming students is to put yourself out there,” she says. “The worst someone can say is ‘no’. I’ve taken jobs just to prove I’m reliable and willing to work hard. Those opportunities have laid the groundwork for where I am today.”