Whenever someone has asked me what I want to do in life, my answer has always been to be involved in sport. Being immersed in sport is where I find myself most comfortable, while also feeling the most motivated to create positive lasting change. Now, the Centre for Sport Capacity will be providing me with the opportunity to get real experience working in sport. 

My name is Cameron Hubscher. I am a Sport Management Student at Brock University, graduating in the Spring of 2024. My favourite sports are hockey and tennis. I am from Montreal, Quebec, so naturally I am a fan of the Montreal Canadiens. Some of my areas of interest are Sport Psychology, Mental Performance, Analytics, and Scouting/Recruitment of athletes. In the future, I plan on completing a Master’s degree in Sport Psychology in order to become a Mental Performance Consultant. Feeling the need to learn more about my passions led me to join the Centre for Sport Capacity (CSC) as the Marketing, Communications, and Event Intern. As I complete my first week interning at the CSC, it is clear that the environment will be an instrumental part of my development as I move forward with my career in sport.  

When I first came across the CSC’s intern position posting on the Brock University Career Zone, the title of the organization caught my eye. Prior to doing any research, the Centre for Sport Capacity sounded like an organization that worked in areas of athlete support. Given my future aspirations, I needed to know more. Fuelled with curiosity, I began to search for what the CSC was all about. I was pleasantly surprised that a number of their current projects & past events aligned with my future ambitions. This includes events such as the Athletes First: The Promotion of Safe Sport in Canada, the Hockey Culture Webinar from the CSC Forum Series as well as the Safe Sport Project and the Sport For Life E-Learning Modules from the CSC’s Project List. While looking through the CSC’s extensive impact on sport in the Niagara region and beyond, I felt the Centre’s goal surrounding the enhancement of diversity, inclusion, and accessibility to sport to be the prominent themes of the organization. These pillars of their organization fully align with my values. Further within the position, due to the entrepreneurial focus of my future aspirations, my personal development of marketing, communications, and events-based skills are a priority to feel prepared for life after University.  

Something that stuck out to me during my interview with the CSC, was their curiosity in my interests. Our Director, Dr. Julie Stevens and Coordinator, Grace Nelson, wanted to know the areas in which I felt most comfortable so they could tailor the internship experience to my strengths. I consider this to be a unique aspect of the Experiential Education opportunities at the CSC. They have given me the liberty to tackle projects that I have interest in as opposed to a copy-paste internship structure. I look forward to continuing to develop my skills in data analysis in a formal work environment by working to refine the CSC analytics database and collect current statistics for the Centre. Additionally, I will focus on increasing my knowledge of different forms of social media and developing partnerships with key organizations for the CSC. I also look forward to expressing my opinions with knowledgeable CSC members as well as developing the tools to run meetings independently. 

From my past experiences, I bring to the CSC a knowledge of analytics and Excel data collection from two years with the Fort Erie Meteors as a Statistics Tracker and Data Analyst, which will help enhance the efficiency of the CSC’s social media and website, while also interpreting trends to further aid their digital activity. My past as a Junior Development Director at a private tennis club allows me to plan for future events and coordinate with multiple stakeholders. During this time, I hosted and organized events for the junior program while also creating initiatives to increase involvement and connection from the junior members to the junior program.  

Paraphrasing Dr. Taylor McKee, a wonderful professor, mentor and prominent member of the CSC, “Sport is not inherently good. There is a misconception that sport is good, and that sport alone can create positive change. In reality, sport is a vessel in which positive change can occur.” Based on my brief time with the Centre for Sport Capacity, it is evident that they understand this notion and that the Centre makes a significant effort to use sport for good by creating positive sustainable change within their community.