Blog

  • August Member Showcase: Sarah Ane

    Friday, August 27, 2021 | By

    Our August Member Showcase is…Associate Director of Recreation and Culture at the Town of Lincoln, Sarah Ane!

    We learned more about Sarah’s background, her past teaching, a recent research project, and some of her personal interests/hobbies.

    Can you tell us a little bit about your background and what led you to specialize in your specific line of work? Can you tell us why you wanted to join the Centre for Sport Capacity and what you’ve gotten out of being part of the Centre so far?

    I have worked in the parks and recreation sector for the majority of my professional career for various municipalities. I completed my studies in Sport and Business Management and early on I was fortunate to have experiences working for a variety of sport organizations in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors. Through these experiences I learned the importance of sport development at the community level. If we don’t support sport at this level, we don’t produce future Olympians, professional athletes or promote sport for life. This fueled my desire to work in local government to focus on creating supportive environments, facilities and policies for sport development and encouraging lifelong participation.

    Can you speak about a class (or classes) that you are teaching this semester/a class you taught previously/one that you will be teaching soon? What about this class/these classes excites you? Is this a new class that you are/will be teaching? Or a class that you’ve taught in the past?

    Previously, I’ve taught at Niagara College in the Recreation and Leisure Studies program about the Role of Government. I find this subject matter very exciting as often students do not understand the vital role that local government plays in shaping many of the everyday programs and services we benefit from in the communities we live. I have also taught courses on community development approaches to recreation planning.

    Can you speak about any recent, current, or future research projects that you’re excited about? What inspired you to want to get involved in your topic of research? Was this research work partnered with a community partner in the sports industry or any other industry?

    Most recently, I was fortunate to collaborate with Brock faculty through the Centre for Sport Capacity and Niagara Community Observatory to develop a policy brief that examined the critical and essential role of parks and recreation services during the pandemic.

    The policy brief illustrates the value of the parks and recreation sector to Niagara residents during the pandemic and includes discussion and recommendations of how the sector can move forward post-pandemic, using a health equity lens to ensure parks and recreation services remain at the forefront of future regional and municipal policy discussions.

    What’s your favourite TV show right now?

    I don’t watch a lot of TV on a regular basis – mostly news and sports. However, I have been known to binge on a Netflix series periodically. I also love a good docuseries.

    What are your current hobbies/interests?

    One of the things I enjoy the most is supporting my 7-year-old son in his sport and recreation pursuits. I’ve quickly become the loudest, overzealous, cheering parent in the stands or on the field. There is nothing I enjoy more than watching him try his hardest and watching him cheer on and encourage his teammates.

    What’s your favourite book?

    My favourite genre of books to read are biographies. Some favourites I’ve read over the years that are specific to sport that I’ve really enjoyed have been “Open” by Andre Agassi, “Mamba Mentality” by Kobe Bryant and “Shoe Dog” by Phil Knight. Most recently, I read “Crossroads” which was written by Kaleb Dahlgren, a survivor of the Humboldt Broncos tragedy.

    What’s your favourite sport or sports team?

    In terms of professional sport, I am a loyal Ottawa Senators fan. Not only are they my hometown team, I was fortunate to work for the organization during the season they made it to the Stanley Cup finals against Anaheim. Although they didn’t win, I learned a lot from the experience about the importance of working in a supportive corporate culture and how much I valued that moving forward in my career.

    There is nothing I enjoy more than watching amateur sport competitions! I am a huge fan of all things Olympic Movement. I was honoured to be one of 12,000 torchbearers for the 2010 Winter Olympics as the torch made its way from Olympia, Greece to Vancouver, B.C.

    Categories: Blog, Member Showcases

  • July Member Showcase: Dr. Laura Cousens

    Friday, July 30, 2021 | By

     

    Our July Member Showcase is…Associate Professor in the Department of Sport Management at Brock University, Dr. Laura Cousens!

    We learned more about Dr. Cousens’ research background, what she enjoys about teaching, some of her research projects, and some of her personal interests/hobbies.

    Can you tell us a little bit about your background and what led you to specialize in your specific line of work? Can you tell us why you wanted to join the Centre for Sport Capacity and what you’ve gotten out of being part of the Centre so far?

    When I first started, I looked at professional sport and I actually put the SPMA Pro Sport course on the books because I felt it was essential with so many of our students looking to get into pro sport to understand more than just the box scores. My thesis and my PhD were all done on pro sport but when Sport Canada introduced the Sport Canada Research Initiative Grant in 2007, to encourage professors to do research on sport participation, I submitted an application, and we were awarded a grant in the very first year. I had published some articles on network analysis in the past, so what we decided to do was use a network perspective to look at community sport organizations. One of the things I am most proud of is, we did a panel discussion for NAASM expecting no one to show up presenting this data, and the room was full with only standing-room space left for attendees. From here, we decided to do a special issue on community sport because there was clearly a lot of interest and we wanted to get the research out in the public. When I went on sabbatical, we began this special issue for the Journal of Sport Management and expected to get 20-25 submissions and received over 70. Only being able to include eight in the special issue, the rest were to be published in subsequent issues of the Journal of Sport Management. For a couple years, I really focused on getting all of this data out into the public, until the 2010 winter Olympics in Vancouver. When I attended, I heard there was 40-50 of our students in volunteer roles at the games, so I took some time to go out and visit them and thought that there are so many jobs in major games, there should be a course for it. So, I created the Major Games course for the Sport Management department. It is an experiential course where students are put in roles within major games and the one thing that I realized is that students do amazing work when they are put in these roles. I also teach the strategic alliances course, which is how I have tied in my networks research with my teaching. This was, at the time, one of the only courses in North America dealing with inter-organizational relationships and there was no publications in sport speaking to this. To ensure students had material within sport for this course I did another special issue for the International Journal of Sport Management on my next sabbatical. We still use these articles to this day, and they are fantastic for the students. A number of years ago now, I partnered with Right to Play to create the SPMA 3P93 Sport for Development course and as much as it is a lecture-based course, it really is experiential because the students are learning through play. In the Sport for Development field course, we have gone to Turks and Caicos and hope to go to the Barbados in the future to work on sport for development projects and provide a sustainable development commitment to the people there.

    The Centre for Sport Capacity to me is an opportunity for professional collaboration and it provides opportunities for its members to undertake projects and consulting that benefit our research, teaching and the students without being under academia. The CSC also allows the opportunity to be entrepreneurial with applying for grants and cultivating partnerships. The Centre is absolutely vital to providing this avenue to professors to work on projects which can involve individuals from all across campus. The CSC is like a “think tank”, being able to bring different ideas together from many different perspectives and disciplines

    Can you speak about a class (or classes) that you are teaching this semester/a class you taught previously/one that you will be teaching soon? What about this class/these classes excites you? Is this a new class that you are/will be teaching? Or a class that you’ve taught in the past?

    I’ve taught virtually everything in the sport management department and the course that is the biggest eye opener for students has got to be Sport for Development. So many students that come into our program don’t think about it and they say it is a game changer for them and that they see sport through a lens that will really help people. For the students that want to work in pro sport, we look at a lot of pro sport foundations and how you can blend sport for development and pro sport together. These foundations invest in community sport programs which is very near and dear to my heart and is exactly what these trips to Turks and Caicos and Barbados are doing. If you ask me for a second one, it would be Major Games because it has impacted so many students lives.

    Can you speak about any recent, current, or future research projects that you’re excited about? What inspired you to want to get involved in your topic of research? Was this research work partnered with a community partner in the sports industry or any other industry?

    In COVID you’re able to participate in all these meeting with people all around the world, so when I was on a call with a lot of people, I put in the chat if anyone knew of any Sport for Development programs in the Caribbean. I heard back about this award-winning program in Barbados that was started by a professor who was also on the Barbados Olympic Committee. The issue we were dealing with in the Turks and Caicos was the high dropout rate and the UN did a study and found that only 60-70% of kids in school there graduate. So what were were doing was working with the schools to improve that statistic through the power of sport, workshops, and presentations to get the kids to stay in school. So this program in the Barbados sets kids up with an internship in their last year of school in something they are interested in, and this has resulted in a near 100% graduation rate. The idea is to get kids out of the classroom to motivate what could be out there for them and inform their worldview. They also learn organizational skills and marketing skills from planning sports events and that is how sport is used to teach some of these hard skills that are then used in their jobs. That is what my research is focused on right now, because this is a model that could be used all around the Caribbean. The idea is that publishing this research will expand the impact of that work going on down there.

    What’s your favourite TV show right now?

    Game of Thrones would be my pick right now.

    What are your current hobbies/interests?

    Competitive equestrian, play tennis, distance swimming, spending time with my two kids and my family.

    What’s your favourite book?

    Murder mystery novels and suspense crime, Jo Nesbo is one of my favourite authors. I also love biographies because digging into the life of someone is so fascinating.

    What’s your favourite sport or sports team?

    We are a Raptors family and have a Raptors den with flags, banners, sweaters, and it’s all “kidded out”. I also love the Olympics and being able to watch all these different sports like Rugby and so many others. My favourite sports to participate in are Riding, tennis, swimming.

    Now’s your time to talk yourself up! You can talk about awards you’ve won, certifications you have, professional affiliations, personal achievements…anything your heart desires!

    I would say that the two special issues I authored were very special to me because they were very impactful in our field of sport management and I was the first person to publish an article on networks in our discipline. I have also won some awards for volunteering outside of Brock. I won the Ontario Bronze medal for volunteering for work I did with the Kidney Foundation where we created an event that has probably raised over $250,000 now. I am very proud of that work as many professors are focused on their publications, but for me its all about can I make an impact on a student’s life. Creating new courses like Sport for Development, Pro Sport, and Major Games and taking kids overseas have been some of my best memories. For me it’s fabulous to see the students have these personal growth opportunities while also providing a sustainable development commitment to others.

    Categories: Blog, Member Showcases

  • June Member Showcase: Cole McClean

    Monday, June 28, 2021 | By

    Our June Member Showcase is…Coordinator of the Centre for Sport Capacity (CSC) at Brock University, Cole McClean!

    We learned more about Cole’s path to the CSC, what he enjoys about his role, some of his research interests, and some of his personal interests/hobbies.

    Can you tell us a little bit about your background and what led you to specialize in your specific line of work? Can you tell us why you wanted to join the Centre for Sport Capacity and what you’ve gotten out of being part of the Centre so far?

    I was in a unique position when I took on the role as the coordinator of the Centre for Sport Capacity. I had just finished up my M.A. (Sport Management) here at Brock working with current member Dr. Shannon Kerwin. Upon completion of my degree, I was weighing next steps and decided to take on some Research Assistant (RA) roles to fill the unemployment void, as well as a chance to explore new areas and learn new skills. I knew I enjoyed research and wanted to explore a related role in the industry, rather than pursue a PhD right away. One of those RA roles was with a multi-department Experiential Education project at Brock with Dr. Julie Stevens and a few other Brock members. I actually hadn’t worked with Julie in my time at Brock, but after working with her on a couple of projects, the CSC Coordinator role opened up, it seemed like a great fit.

    As for what I’ve gotten out of my first couple of years with the CSC, there is too much to cover in one post. The first aspect that stands out are the meetings with community partners. I learn a lot from each group or individual we meet with and the process of understanding their needs as well as figuring out how to support them is rewarding.

    The other part is student engagement – over the past few years I feel the CSC has done a good job of providing students across various departments at Brock with valuable practical experience. We’ve really carved out some consistent roles as well so we’re always trying to offer students experiential education opportunities.

    Can you speak about any recent, current, or future research projects that you’re excited about? What inspired you to want to get involved in your topic of research? Was this research work partnered with a community partner in the sports industry or any other industry?

    There are a lot of projects that I am excited about in the Centre and I almost feel bad choosing only one. If I had to choose one at the moment though, it would be the 2020 U16 European Cup – Girls Hockey Participation project involving a number of national hockey federations. The purpose is to understand the issues girls playing the sport face and resulting high drop-out. In turn, the goal is to develop resources and support initiatives aimed at reducing barriers faced across particular age groups. This project is notable to me as it was the first major project I was involved in as the coordinator (Winter 2019), and while COVID-19 halted the project, progress is being made again.

    What’s your favourite TV show right now?

    It takes me a while to get through shows, but Billions is currently major one I’m working on. I also recently finished the Expanse, which I highly recommend as it filled the hole that Games of Thrones ending, left.

    What are your current hobbies/interests? (maybe something you picked up since we’ve all been staying home!)

    My healthy hobby that really got me through winter was daily walks to get away from screens and take my mind of things with a podcast or music. I never thought I’d be a person that could go for walks so often, but with the lockdowns the walks became

    To try and make weekends a bit more exciting, I usually attempt a new, interesting recipe that I’ve never done before. It’s been rewarding trying dishes that I honestly never thought I’d make myself.

    What’s your favourite book? (recently, or your all-time favourite)

    Recently, Barack Obama’s memoir A Promised Land as I’ve followed politics to some degree, but learning what actually goes on behind the scenes and the toll it takes is really interesting.

    What’s your favourite sport or sports team?

    If I were to pick one, it would have to be the Toronto Raptors. I love the sport and everything the organization has come to stand for. I also enjoy reading about Masai Ujiri as a leader, how he approaches his role, and the great things he’s done for the culture of the organization.

    Categories: Blog, Member Showcases

  • Interview with Dr. Peter Donnelly – Athletes First: The Promotion of Safe Sport in Canada

    Thursday, June 03, 2021 | By

    We sat down (virtually) with Dr. Peter Donnelly, from the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education at the University of Toronto, to chat about his participation in the forum, “Athletes First: The Promotion of Safe Sport in Canada,” that will be held on June 16, 17, and 18 on Microsoft Teams. Dr. Donnelly will be speaking on the Governance panel on the second day of the event.

    In our interview, we had a chance to speak with Dr. Donnelly about what safe sport means to him, as well as what attendees will gain from attending the virtual forum.

    What does Safe Sport mean to you?

    Safe Sport is increasingly coming to be used as the collective term used to refer to sport where athletes are not subject to physical, psychological or sexual abuse, and where they are not bullied or neglected. To me, it means bringing humanity back into sport — building a sport culture where athletes and sport leaders are fellow human beings, respecting each other’s human rights, and where adults in charge of children’s sport acknowledge and take seriously their duty of care for those children.

    How are you involved in Safe Sport?

    A colleague at Queen’s University, Hart Cantelon, used the term “child labour in sport” in 1981 and it stuck with me. I began to hear more and more stories about children as athletic labourers and about child abuse in sport. In about 1987 I began to study this seriously, interviewing retired high performance athletes about their past experiences as child and adolescent athletes. I called the study, “the good, the bad, and the ugly” so you can imagine the kind of things that I was hearing in the interviews. Since that time, I have been seeking various ways to try to improve the experiences of children in sport.

    Why should someone attend this forum?

    Anyone interested in helping to change sport, especially high performance sport, from a culture of abuse to a culture of respect, might be interested in this forum.

    Categories: Blog, Webinars/Forums

  • May Member Showcase: Dr. Pat Reid

    Monday, May 31, 2021 | By

    Our May Member Showcase is…Associate Professor with the Department of Sport Management at Brock University, Dr. Pat Reid!

    We learned more about Dr. Reid’s areas of academic interest, Sport Management courses that he has taught, a research project on the 1972 summer Olympic Games in Munich, and some of his personal interests/hobbies.

    Can you tell us a little bit about your background and what led you to specialize in your specific line of work? Can you tell us why you wanted to join the Centre for Sport Capacity and what you’ve gotten out of being part of the Centre so far?

    Over 40 years of management positions in various sport industry capacities. This included 17 years as a sport consultant with Sport Canada; vice-president of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association before it morphed into Hockey Canada; director general of the Sport Medicine & Science Council of Canada; director of marketing with Natation Swimming Canada; director of sponsorship for Corel Corporation; director general of back-to-back Ontario Summer Games (Ottawa); executive director of the combative sports commission in Edmonton, during which time I picked up a Ph.D. in sport management at the University of Alberta. I then applied for, and was hired, by Brock University to teach sport management courses.

    Can you speak about a class (or classes) that you are teaching this semester/a class you taught previously/one that you will be teaching soon? What about this class/these classes excites you? Is this a new class that you are/will be teaching? Or a class that you’ve taught in the past?

    One of the strengths I bring to the department and the CSC is about 40-years of “hands on” management experience in sport. It makes for richer dialogue and student understanding. Industry experience provides you with applied knowledge such that you can successfully teach a myriad of subjects. Teaching out of a textbook without industry experience limits the value of the information, in part because the available texts are grossly slanted toward the USA market. Lecturing from the perspective of lived experience allows students to better appreciate what management in sport in Canada is really all about – both the good and the bad. With the electronic world we live in today, students already have access to written material about theory while actual industry experience is a sought after added value. I have taught courses in organizational behavior, sport policy, critical issues in managing sports events, ethics in sport, the business of hockey, the internship program, etc. It is not the course material I enjoy, it is communicating with the curious student, the high work ethic student that is really attractive for me.

    The Centre for Sport Capacity (CSC) is an interesting initiative by Dr. Julie Stevens (also a U. of Alberta grad). I like the concept and was asked by Julie (and Cole McLean) to join the CSC. The CSC is a work in progress with some blue-chip members willing to work in cooperation and collaboration with each other. I hope I can make a contribution as well.

    Can you speak about any recent, current, or future research projects that you’re excited about? What inspired you to want to get involved in your topic of research? Was this research work partnered with a community partner in the sports industry or any other industry?

    I have always had an interest in research stemming from curiosity at a young age. I have published more than 25 articles in sport technical journals before writing 6 academic articles and was involved with two book chapters. I am pleased to be the first SPMA professor to

    present papers at the Academy of Management (AOM) and the European Group of Organizational Studies (EGOS). Currently, my latest research is a historical piece on the 1972 summer Olympic Games in Munich where the PLO killed the 11 Israeli athletes and coaches. It was my first attended Olympic Games and I collected the available German newspapers each day and kept them in a scrapbook. It sat on a shelf for years. Just recently I had the articles translated into English. These newspaper articles are no longer available at source, so my collection is a rich secondary data set. I am in the process of interviewing a number of Canadian athletes, media, and officials who were in Munich, to obtain primary data. I want to publish a paper next year, the 50th anniversary of the tragedy, from a Canadian participatory perspective.

    I have a number of other research initiatives that bode well for collaboration with other CSC members. It just takes time to prioritize and follow through.

    Are you involved in any clubs/associations?

    As a senior age wise, I now value my time more than ever, so I am only volunteering to CSC because I fully endorse and support what Julie Stevens is attempting to do with CSC.

    What’s your favourite TV show right now?

    The Good Doctor & Blue Bloods.

    Best Netflix series?

    The Queen’s Gambit; Jack Ryan; Longmire; Shetland, Ozark, Justified.

    What are your current hobbies/interests?

    (maybe something you picked up since we’ve all been staying home!) Learning to play guitar, studying Aboriginal sport history.

    What’s your favourite book?

    I have a home library of over 75 sports books that expands regularly! Every book read or re-read can spark your curiosity and new ideas.

    What’s your favourite sport or sports team?

    From my coaching background and time spent with marketing guru Mark McCormack, I developed a preference to focus my time observing “individual talent” even in team sports like hockey: Connor McDavid, Marc-Andre Fleury, Alexander Ovechkin, Connor Hellebuyck, Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, etc., rather than rallying behind one specific team. It allows for a wider appreciation of every game, of every sport.

    Now’s your time to talk yourself up! You can talk about awards you’ve won, certifications you have, professional affiliations, personal achievements…anything your heart desires!

    Achievements/Awards/Rewards

    I’ve received numerous “awards and accolades”. To date the two most significant would be receiving the University of Waterloo Alumni Achievement Award, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences and being inducted into the Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame. In terms of “rewards”, I love and cherish my daughter Taylar and son Brett, and I am blessed with my life with Joanne, my wife. At a distant second (and materialistic) level, I am happy to have my three rings representing three IIHF world hockey championships, and my Olympic ring for being a head coach.

    Future Desires

    I’ve been involved with the SPMA 4F01/4F02 internship course each year and I have read the students self-reflection papers at the end of each term. Fourth-year students dislike working 450 hours for free. It is time for the program to take the next step and require employers to pay “something”, even $500/month, for students placed with their organization. I wish I had the time to contribute to taking this program to the next level.

    In addition, I would like to write a non-fiction book or two. Academically, we need more Canadian focused and Canadian relevant texts in sport marketing, sponsorship, management, etc. This brings me back to the necessity of the added value of professors having industry experience and imparting realistic knowledge of the management of sport in Canada to students preparing to work and succeed in the industry. It would be nice to partner with a few key colleagues and industry partners to create such texts. That is a significant benefit of the Centre of Sport Capacity.

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    Categories: Blog, Member Showcases

  • Interview with Isabelle Cayer, Peter Niedre, and Kasey Liboiron – Athletes First: The Promotion of Safe Sport in Canada

    Thursday, May 27, 2021 | By

    We sat down (virtually) with Isabelle Cayer and Peter Niedre, from the Coaching Association of Canada, and Kasey Liboiron, from the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport, to chat about their participation in the forum, “Athletes First: The Promotion of Safe Sport in Canada,” that will be held on June 16, 17, and 18 on Microsoft Teams. Isabelle, Peter, and Kasey will be speaking on the Coach Education panel on the third day of the event.

    In our interview, we had a chance to speak with Isabelle, Peter, and Kasey about what safe sport means to them, as well as what attendees will gain from attending the virtual forum.

    What does Safe Sport mean to you?

    Isabelle and Peter: Sport is fun and has many physical, mental, emotional and social benefits and contributes to the health of a nation. Sport should inherently be safe, where parents/guardians feel confident enrolling their children, and athletes through the system feel welcomed to a positive environment. When you look up the definition of safe it is “protected from or not exposed to danger or risk; not likely to be harmed or lost.” To us it means a place you go or a thing you do where you can show up as your authentic self and participate in physical activity, games, or competition and achieve your goals. Healthy communications and trusting relationships are key to safe sport.

    Kasey: Safe sport should be a baseline expectation for participants. It should be the foundation on which a values-based approach to sport is applied in order to maximize the benefits of sport on participants and community.

    How are you involved in Safe Sport?

    Isabelle and Peter: As the Director of Sport Safety and the Director of Education Partnerships at the Coaching Association of Canada, our roles are to make sport safe for everyone through building trust and support in the system. The primary enabler of social change is through education. We do this through our events, platforms and partnerships via training, coach education, coach and partner products and services, connecting the community and the professionalization of coaching.

    Kasey: For more than a decade, I have been advocating for sport that is fair, safe and open, as an employee of the Canadian Centre for Ethics in sport. The hope is to make sport better for more people by inspiring and supporting by inspiring and supporting Canadians to apply a values-based approach to sport and recreation.

    Why should someone attend this forum?

    Isabelle and Peter: It’s important for all participants, leaders and experts in sport to come together to listen, learn, lead, and take action. We are all accountable in making sport safe for everyone, and this forum is a great opportunity to discuss safe sport.

    Kasey: Safe sport often focuses on what not to do – attend this forum to learn how to engage your stakeholders in developing a culture of safety in order to maximize the sport experience for participants.

    Categories: Blog, Webinars/Forums

  • Interview with Bruce Kidd – Athletes First: The Promotion of Safe Sport in Canada

    Thursday, May 20, 2021 | By

    We sat down (virtually) with Dr. Bruce Kidd, from the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education at the University of Toronto, to chat about his participation in the forum, “Athletes First: The Promotion of Safe Sport in Canada,” that will be held on June 16, 17, and 18 on Microsoft Teams. Dr. Kidd will be speaking on the Governance panel on the second day of the event.

    In our interview, we had a chance to speak with Dr. Kidd about what safe sport means to him, as well as what attendees will gain from attending the virtual forum.

    What does Safe Sport mean to you?

    Capitalized, I would say Safe Sport is the long campaign to eradicate abusive behaviour and maltreatment from Canadian sport, and create a culture of inclusive, educationally focused, enjoyable sports, and to that end, create a federally-funded pan-Canadian institution to provide leadership to that campaign and root out the abusers. Uncapitalized, safe sport requires a complex list of conditions, summarized in the attached a two-slide deck derived from a set of literature reviews Peter [Donnelly] and I coordinated in 2008.

    How are you involved in Safe Sport?

    I’ve been an advocate for both as long as I can remember.

    Why should someone attend this forum?

    To hear and interact with leading researchers and advocates on the battle for the future of Canadian sport, and to decide for themselves ‘whose side am I on?

    Categories: Blog, Webinars/Forums

  • Emma Fedorchuk: Fall 2020 and Winter 2021 Marketing and Communications Assistant

    Wednesday, May 19, 2021 | By

    Emma Fedorchuk is a fourth-year Media and Communication Studies student at Brock University. She worked with the CSC as a Marketing and Communications Assistant for the Fall 2020 and Winter 2021 terms.   

    Wow! I can’t believe my time with the CSC is coming to an end…What a great experience!  

    I was taken on at the Centre for Sport Capacity as a Marketing and Communications Assistant back in September 2020 and have spent the past eight months learning, growing, and improving my skills in the marketing and communications field.  

    When I first started at the CSC, I felt extremely empowered with how much trust and responsibility was given to me and felt as though I was immediately welcomed into our small team. Given that this position was entirely remote, my supervisors Julie Stevens and Cole McClean did a great job of keeping me in the loop and checking in on me via our weekly meetings, and they also made a strong effort to be available to me throughout the day to answer any clarifying questions I may have had. Although the three of us haven’t met in person due to COVID-19, we all got to know each other quite well and created a positive virtual work environment where ideas and discussion were encouraged.  

    My time spent at the Centre has strengthened many of my skills; most notably my self-motivation and problem-solving. Because I was at home working alone rather than in a more traditional workplace environment surrounded by other people, I didn’t have someone looking over my shoulder making sure that I was keeping up with the tasks that were assigned to me. It was up to me to schedule my work for everything to be completed at a reasonable rate, while also leaving room for more pressing tasks that would pop up, as well as balancing my schoolwork, my internship with the Niagara River Lions, and my life outside of school/work. Knowing how to manage my time and stay motivated throughout working independently were both skills that were essential to my success at the CSC.  

    Through this remote placement, I also learned the importance of getting creative with your problem-solving skills. Because the CSC is still a relatively new organization, oftentimes I would have questions that our team didn’t have the answers for, so it was my responsibility to use the resources that were available to me to figure them out myself. YouTube tutorials and industry research became my best friends and solidified the fact that many of the answers that you are looking for are out there if you look hard enough. The CSC also taught me the importance of growing a contact list of people with specific expertise. The more I talked to various faculty members at Brock, the more I knew who to reach out to if I ever had specific questions. I would then take the answers that I received and report back to my supervisors as well as keep note of the solution to pass on to the next student that works with the CSC. 

    I accomplished a wide array of things at the Centre, but I am most proud of the work that I put into our social media and the time that I spent creating a communications booklet for future students.  

    Noah Nickel, the student that held the Marketing and Communications Assistant position in the summer of 2020, did a fantastic job at creating a social media strategy for the Centre and getting both our Twitter and LinkedIn accounts up and running. Noah handed me the torch after his co-op concluded, and it was my responsibility to continue growing our social media and to create an identifiable brand image for the CSC. With the help of countless YouTube tutorials, I strengthened my Adobe Illustrator skills and began creating graphics for the Centre’s various educational resources, events, student blogs, and member showcases. I also made a strong effort to get members more involved in our social media by paying close attention to the various projects and events that they were involved in and sharing this activity with our network. Not only do I believe that the Centre now has a solid foundation in which we can continue to grow our brand image, but I also believe that the effort I put into showcasing our CSC members made them feel more connected to the organization. 

    As for the communications booklet, I built upon Noah’s original social media strategy and added content that can best be described as “tips and tricks” that I have learned throughout my placement. In the booklet, I added a contact list of faculty who students will most likely have to reach out to, dimension sizing for Twitter and LinkedIn graphics, tips about using Hootsuite, tips about how/when to post, instructions about how to complete Member Showcases, and gave suggestions for future posts. I believe that if future students continue to add to this booklet and detail their best tips and tricks, that students will be able to start their placements/co-ops with the CSC with the context that they need to quickly gain their footing and get straight to work.  

    My advice for future students who will be working for the CSC is to try not to get overwhelmed. You will be entrusted with a lot of tasks and will have a busy calendar; but, don’t feel like you’re alone! You have supervisors that are more than willing to help you, and you have a long list of contacts that you can reach out to for specific questions and advice. People want to see you succeed. Stay organized, use your problem-solving skills, reach out to others, and keep an open channel of communication with your team and it’ll be smooth sailing! 

    As I mentioned in my previous blog, the main reason why I love sport so much is because of the communities that surround the various games that we play. My placement with the CSC has helped me to bridge the fond memories that I have playing sport with a workplace setting, and as I approach graduation, has also helped me to narrow down the type of communications work I would like to pursue. I now recognize just how much potential working in sport has to offer and will continue to seek out various sport-related positions.  

    Thank you, CSC! 

    Categories: Blog, Students

  • Hazel Campbell: Winter 2021 Webinar & Forum Coordinator

    Monday, May 17, 2021 | By

    Hazel Campbell is a fourth-year Sport Management student at Brock University, who took on the role of Webinar & Forum Coordinator, as part of an experiential education credit with the CSC. Read on to hear Hazel’s thoughts after completing her placement with the Centre for Sport Capacity.

    Are you the type of person that learns better in a practical, hands-on environment? I am definitely one of those people. Although I have done well in my four years at Brock, going into my last semester, I felt that I still lacked skills that I could apply directly to my future career. When I began my Sport Management experiential education placement as the Forum and Webinar Coordinator with the Centre for Sport Capacity (CSC), I was looking to improve my transferable employability skills.

    Doing this SPMA 4P99 placement with the CSC has been the most rewarding experiences in my four years at Brock. In my semester with the centre, I staged a successful webinar (see Past Webinars), I am also organizing an upcoming three-day forum, Athletes First: The Promotion of Safe Sport in Canada. I’m developing exciting new skills that I could not hope for in a typical lecture-style courses.

    In my role as the Webinar Coordinator, I drastically improved my professional communications skills. Throughout the process of planning the webinar, I made connections with CSC members, individuals from different departments at Brock, as well as individuals outside of Brock. I also built relationships with the panelists. I’m now comfortable interacting professionally with a variety of people, across a variety of platforms.

    Serving as the Forum Coordinator gave me insight into the immense amount of work required to organize and facilitate an event. I am more organized than ever because I’ve been managing many responsibilities at once. I gained valuable firsthand experience to help me pursue a career in event management. Regardless of your specific career goals, I am sure you can improve your employability skills if you get involved with the CSC.

    During my placement, I moderated the webinar that I planned. Moderating a discussion was not something I had done before, but I felt supported to try it by those involved in the webinar, and it was an exciting and valuable experience. This experience parallels my entire placement; during my placement, I was able to try many new things, while having the support to ask for help if I needed it.

    My advice for students interested in getting involved with the CSC is to go for it. Even if you are not interested in, or unable to do a SPMA experiential education credit, there are many possibilities for engagement. The Centre welcomes students from many faculties and has opportunities for a variety of skill sets.

    If your experience is anything like mine has been, you will gain invaluable experience and transferable skills. I would also suggest that students get involved sooner in your time at Brock rather than later. The only regret that I have about this experience is that I waited until my last semester to get involved.

    If you are interested in connecting with the CSC, visit the CSC website for any placement/volunteer positions or directly reach out by submitting an intake form. A CSC team member will be happy to follow up with you.

    Categories: Blog, Students

  • Ryan Hyndman: 2021 Spring/Summer Marketing, Communications, and Business Development Coordinator (Intern)

    Friday, May 14, 2021 | By

    Ryan Hyndman is a fourth-year Sport Management student at Brock University. He is interning with the Centre for Sport Capacity this Spring and Summer as our Marketing, Communications, and Business Development Coordinator (Intern).

    Many students look to find an internship where the position is a perfect intersection of existing skillset and opportunity to develop new practical skills, and that is what I believe I have found in this position. Hello! My name is Ryan Hyndman and I am currently a 4th year Sport Management (SPMA) Student with a minor in Economics. I’m from the small town of Pakenham, ON in the heart of the Ottawa Valley. This summer I will be working with the Centre for Sport Capacity (CSC) to complete my internship for SPMA 4F01/4F02 in the Marketing, Communications, and Business Development Coordinator role until the end of August. I am thrilled to be able to join this team and hit the ground running!

    Working with sport management Experiential Coordinator, Katie Desveaux, I came across the posting for this position and was immediately intrigued. From there, I put together my application comprised of an updated version of my resume and cover letter, and an example of my academic writing. As part of the process, I worked with Career Zone to fully revamp my resume and cover letter to make sure that it was up to industry standards. This was a huge benefit for me as applying for this position allowed me to improve professionally before I was even selected for an interview. For the academic writing component I chose my final qualitative research assignment from SPMA 3P07. When I was fortunate enough to be selected for an interview, I virtually sat down with Dr. Julie Stevens (Director, Centre for Sport Capacity) and Cole McClean (Coordinator, Centre for Sport Capacity) and had a very productive interview that felt more like a conversation.

    Sport has always been a massive part of my life from being an amateur athlete, to being a fan, to shaping my education around it, and now to pursuing a career in this field. Additionally, the Niagara Region has felt like a second home since moving over five hours away to attend Brock three years ago. When I discovered this internship opening at the CSC, I knew that it would be the perfect opportunity to continue my professional development in pursuit of a career in sport, while also positively contributing to a community that I care about. Although many sport management students would not think to complete their internship with a research centre at Brock because it is not a professional sport organization, I saw a major opportunity. An opportunity to build further professional relationships with faculty and staff, continue developing skills gained in volunteer experiences in a professional environment, and contributing to the Brock community that I care so much for. Additionally, prospective interns may look at the centre from an outside perspective and feel like the experience may be more academic since it operates within Brock University. It is my expectation that there is plenty of opportunity to use was has been taught to me in the classroom and apply it to practical industry experiences such as promoting and marketing events, developing new business initiates, and managing communications.

    During my time with the CSC, I want to make sure that I make significant strides in all three areas of my position: Marketing, Communications, and Business Development. Beginning with Marketing, I have some experience from volunteer opportunities with promoting events and certain initiatives, however I have yet to be an integral member of a team developing a marketing plan. This is an area I would like to develop. Secondly, Communications is a skill that I would like to master. I want to hone the correct language and tone to use with different stakeholders such as co-workers, supervisors, community partners, as well as new contacts, and potential clients. Finally, Business Development is the area where I have had the least amount of experience by far. It will be a successful opportunity for myself if I am able to learn what goes into the business development process and take it with me throughout my sport management career.

    I also believe that I can make my presence felt in a positive way throughout the CSC. As my position covers many elements of operations, I hope to be a “Swiss Army Knife” when it comes to support. I look forward to helping in any area where I am needed and providing positive energy to the teams I work with. I believe that my previous experience in a variety of different roles has provided me with insight to effectively contribute to the objectives of the CSC. Overall, I am extremely excited to start my time with the Centre and look forward to the many skills I will develop and the professional relationships that I will build.

    Categories: Blog, Students

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