When injury forced Alyssa Scalera (BSM \u201923, MSM \u201926) to retire early from gymnastics, she wasn\u2019t quite ready to say goodbye to the sport she\u2019s loved since first hitting the mat at the age of three.<\/p>\n
And with the help of Brock University\u2019s Sport Management programs, she hasn\u2019t had to.<\/p>\n
Instead, the Hamiltonian has stuck the landing with Gymnastics Canada following graduation, building a career with the national organization she has dreamed of being part of.<\/p>\n
Scalera had plenty to celebrate on Friday, Oct. 16, when she crossed the stage among Brock\u2019s first cohort of Master of Sport Management graduates. The day not only recognized her academic accomplishments but also marked her professional growth as she moved into a new role as Manager, Sport Development.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy journey in gymnastics didn’t end when I stepped off the mat; it was simply the beginning of a new way to shape the future of Canadian sport,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
Scalera started her journey at Brock in the Bachelor of Sport Management program. She recalls the first day of classes when Professor Kirsty Spence asked students what they hope to be doing at the end of their four years of study.<\/p>\n
While Scalera had once dreamed of competing nationally, she knew working for the national sport organization would provide a new way to represent Canadian gymnastics at the highest level.<\/p>\n
That chance came during the final year of her undergraduate studies. Associate Professor of Sport Management Shannon Kerwin shared a job posting for a Sport Development Co-ordinator at Gymnastics Canada.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt felt like fate,\u201d Scalera says.<\/p>\n
She landed the job in January 2023, throwing herself into the role. In 2025, as Gymnastics Canada began creating a four-year strategic plan, Scalera found herself drawn to the mechanics of it all.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a very interesting process to me, to see a CEO go through a strategic plan. How to design it, how to implement it and what the steps are to do it,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n