Blog

  • 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

  • Interview with Erin Willson – Athletes First: The Promotion of Safe Sport in Canada

    Thursday, May 13, 2021 | By

    We sat down (virtually) with Erin Willson, former Olympian and current co-chair of the Safe Sport committee at AthletesCAN, to chat about her 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. Willson will be speaking on the Athletes’ Voices panel, along with Allison Forsyth, on the first day of the event.

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

    What does Safe Sport mean to you?

    For me, Safe Sport means creating an environment where athletes can reach their highest potential without sacrificing their health and well-being. It means creating an environment where all participants (coaches, athletes, sport staff) feel safe, comfortable, confident and bring their full selves to do what they love.

    How are you involved in Safe Sport?

    I am a PhD candidate at the University of Toronto studying abuse in sport. I have spent the past 4 years in graduate school learning about all types of abuse (physical, emotional, sexual, neglect), and also learning how to be an advocate for athletes on these issues in the Canadian sport system.

    Why should someone attend this forum?

    There has been a growing awareness of the issues that athletes have faced in sport but there is less education and discussion about how to fix these issues and protect all sport stakeholders. I think this forum is an amazing opportunity to have an open discussion on how we as the sport community can move forward and create a safer sport environment.

    Categories: Webinars/Forums

  • Interview with Margot Page & Willy Manigat / Kascius Small-Martin & Daniel Caldwell – Planning and Building Through Challenging Circumstances

    Thursday, March 11, 2021 | By

    We sat down (virtually) with Margot Page, Head Coach of Brock Women’s Hockey, and Willy Manigat, Head Coach of Brock Men’s Basketball, to chat about their webinar, “Planning and Building Through Challenging Circumstances,” that will be held on March 23 at 7 PM (EST) on Lifesize.

    In our interview, we had a chance to speak with Page and Manigat about the challenges that coaches are facing during COVID-19 and what attendees will gain from attending their virtual event.

    We also had the pleasure of hearing from two members of Brock University Men’s Basketball team, Kascius Small-Martin and Daniel Caldwell, who spoke about their experiences being athletes throughout the pandemic.

    Margot Page and Willy Manigat

    For those unaware but interested in attending the webinar, could you provide a brief description of the challenges that coaches have faced as they coach through COVID-19?

    During the COVID-19 pandemic coaches have been faced with many challenges. Some examples include inability to access gyms and fields to conduct in person training, the number cap creating separation within the team and continuity, less contact points with the athletes, less contact point for the athletes with their teammates, and difficulty holding team members accountable to the team’s usual norms and expectations.

    Why should people attend this webinar?

    Coaches should attend this webinar in order to get a perspective of the difficulties other coaches share with them regardless of the level they are currently coaching. We hope to provide some of our solutions to some of the difficulties based on the age group or level they [attendees] are working with (i.e. club coaches, volunteer coaches, university coaches, etc.).

    We also hope to provide some insight on how coaches can move forward through this pandemic as we work closer towards normalcy and a return to competition in what we hope is the near future.

    What does coaching through these challenging circumstances look like in practice?

    Due to health and safety protocols, during the pandemic our teams and programs have had to train while keeping social distancing rules. Our practices and training sessions consist mostly on the game fundamentals, our spacing concepts and a lot of skill development.

    What is the webinar going to look like for the average participant?

    The webinar will be laid out as follows: We will begin with a discussion on Coaching Struggles, then move on to Commonalities, Solutions for Practice and Culture Building, and then end with testimonials from coaches and players.

    Can I contact the speakers after the event if time restrictions don’t allow all questions from participants to be answered?

    Willy Manigat will be available to answer questions via email after the webinar if time restraints do not allow all questions to be answered.

    Kascius Small-Martin and Daniel Caldwell

    What are the most valuable transferable skills that you have learned through COVID-19?

    Daniel Caldwell: Teamwork. 

    Kascius Small-Martin: Leadership, teamwork, communication, and discipline.

    Have you felt any changes in your team culture as you train/practice/play throughout COVID-19?

    Daniel Caldwell: The team is less of a unit as we would be in this time of year having an entire season behind us by now. Instead, the lockdowns have separated us and although we take opportunities to bond together individually through forms of virtual communication, it is not the same as spending every day for the last 8 months physically together in practices, games, travel, meetings, and workouts throughout the university. Being a team going through a culture change and trying to find its culture, it is difficult to build that [culture] during the lockdowns and separation. Although the culture has not been impacted negatively, it has not had the opportunity to grow as much as it would during a regular season.

    Kascius Small-Martin: Somewhat of a change due to distance and only being able to see each other online for the most part.

    Think about your training/practice style as it was before COVID-19, now think of what it’s like now. Do you miss any aspects of how things used to be? If so, can you explain?

    Daniel Caldwell: Currently our practices are individual skill-development based due to social distancing and restrictions. Given basketball is a team sport, the most missed aspects of the old practices is being able to play 5-on-5 in the half-court or run up and down 5-on-5 full-court, whether that is situations and running through plays or just playing to get cardio in, the inability to simulate games is the missing aspect.

    Kascius Small-Martin: I miss every aspect of the training and practice styles before COVID-19 because training and practice isn’t the same without being in the actual facilities (i.e. Bob Davis, BSPC, the zone) or being able to scrimmage and play contact.

    What do you think coaches have done well as they coach through COVID-19?

    Daniel Caldwell: I think our coaches have done extremely well given the circumstances. They know how difficult it is for the players and we know how badly they want us to get back to normal. But the focus is on individual development and a complete year off is the perfect time to focus on the individual needs of every player on their team. [Coaches have also been] ensuring their players that the issues going on in the world are bigger than the game of basketball as people are losing their lives and [have been] reminding us that the rules and restriction on practices are there for a reason. Our coaches have set an example by not bending the rules for us which leads for us not bending the rules outside of team/practice time and doing our part in preventing the spread of the virus.

    Kascius Small-Martin: They have kept the training programs going virtually from the very start of COVID-19 and have kept everyone optimistic that we’ll be getting back to it, [we] just have to be patient, stay safe, and do our part.

    What are some ways that coaches can improve their coaching style during COVID-19?

    Daniel Caldwell: I feel like a lot of coaches at high-level basketball do not care to get to know their players on a deeper personal level from what is going on in the gym. Most coaches just care about the type of basketball player a person is and have no interest in the type of person the player is, which could result in understanding that player more and being able to get the most out of each player on their team.

    Kascius Small-Martin: They can make the game enjoyable and fun again and let us play contact and compete.

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    Categories: Blog, Webinars/Forums

  • March Member Showcase: Dr. Brad Millington

    Wednesday, March 03, 2021 | By

    Our March Member Showcase is…Associate Professor with the Department of Sport Management at Brock University, Dr. Brad Millington!

    We learned more about Dr. Millington’s areas of academic interest, a new class he is teaching called “Sport and the Environment,” a research project that he worked on about the use of bicycles in “development” initiatives, 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?

    My two areas of interest are sport media and technology, and sport and environmental sustainability. Ages ago I was at a video store (maybe Blockbuster … which I miss!) and a Nintendo Wii promotion caught my attention – I think the Wii was described as intuitive. I already had experience studying sport media. This seemed a new way of talking about technology that was worth thinking about in depth. It led to an interest in technologies like wearable tracking devices, exercise-themed video games, and fitness apps. My work on sport and the environment started from a project with my supervisor, Brian Wilson, when I was a grad student at UBC. We’ve worked together ever since. And, of course, it’s driven by the fact that the climate crisis presents enormous concerns.

    Can you speak about a class that you are teaching this semester/a class you taught previously/one that you will be teaching soon?

    I’m excited that I’ll soon be teaching a new grad class called Sport and the Environment. You might have seen the alarming images of orange skies over San Francisco’s baseball stadium during the wildfires on the American west coast in the summer of 2020. It was another stark reminder of how sport is often at the whim of the environment – and will continue to be in the years ahead. So, it’s worth discussing how sport impacts and is impacted by the environment, and whether and how sport can contribute to better environmental futures.

    Can you speak about any recent, current, or future research projects that you are excited about?

    I was fortunate to be part of a project with colleagues, led by Lyndsay Hayhurst from York University, on the use of bicycles in ‘development’ initiatives. The project was timely in that bicycles seem to have taken on heightened importance recently – for example, in the pursuit of sustainable transportation, in providing economic opportunities, and in promoting health and wellbeing. The pandemic has only propelled this thinking. Yet the project also identified lingering barriers for bicycle users (or would-be users), such as environmental conditions and infrastructure that isn’t conducive to cycling.

    speed round ice breakers

    What is your favourite TV show right now?

    I’m a big fan of watching cooking shows like Top Chef and The Great British Bake Off and then making my own (very) mediocre versions.

    What is your favourite movie?

    Too hard to choose. Field of Dreams is the first movie I rented (Blockbuster!). Do the Right Thing made me realize how meaningful movies can be. And A Few Good Men is the movie I’ve seen countless times.

    WHat is your favourite book?

    Neil Postman’s Amusing Ourselves to Death. The central idea – that the form of communication necessarily impacts the content – seems more relevant than ever in the time of social media.

    what are your current hobbies/interests?

    I’m quite enjoying tobogganing this winter, until we reach the inevitable point where I start carrying both my kids back up the hill.

    NOW IS THE TIME TO TALK YOURSELF UP! WHAT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU ARE PROUD OF (AWARDS, PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENTS, ETC.) THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE?

    Most of all, I love the range of different tasks that comes with life at the University. I’ve been fortunate to be involved in exciting collaborative research projects, to teach excellent undergrad and grad students, and to work with great colleagues on important administrative initiatives.

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    Categories: Blog, Member Showcases

  • February Member Showcase: Dr. Kyle Rich

    Friday, February 12, 2021 | By

    Our February Member Showcase is Assistant Professor with the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies at Brock University, Dr. Kyle Rich!

    We sat down (virtually) with Dr. Rich and learned about his educational background, a new class that he is teaching, a series of research projects that he is wrapping up about rural events, and a few of his personal interests and hobbies.

    Can you tell us a little bit about your background and what led you to specialize in your specific line of work?

    My background is in kinesiology. I studied my master’s at the University of Ottawa and I did my Ph. D. at Western. My focus was on sport and recreation policy as it relates to diverse communities, specifically rural communities. I had really good critical mentors who kind of pushed me in that direction and I got really interested in sport development. I’m from a small town so I think I always considered what that looked like in the bigger picture. And then that led me to this intersection of sport policy and rural development.

    Can you speak about a class that you are teaching/a class you taught previously/one that you will be teaching soon?

    This term, I am teaching Foundations of Leisure Studies. It is the course that everyone in the master’s program studying Recreation and Leisure takes. It’s a new course for me but it’s exciting because it’s my first grad-level course. In the class we cover classic and contemporary approaches to looking at leisure. I’m excited because it’s a small course, we get to cover some real research-focused content, and it gets in-depth about theory and research paradigms and things like that, not to mention that half of the class are students that I am supervising. So we’re a pretty tight group and it’s definitely going to be fun to work through that course with them.

    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?

    I’m actually wrapping up a series of projects where I’m looking at rural sports events. One is called “The Battle of the Little Big Puck,” an event held in Maple Creek Saskatchewan. I just had a paper come out about it where we looked at settler-Indigenous relationships and how that is reflected in this event. It’s a super interesting event where The Ranchers play against the First Nations, so it embodies a contentious metaphor. In the last period the Ranchers wear chaps and hats and the First Nations come out in regalia and they engage in this really interesting performance of community.

    Another event is called the Heritage Cup that’s based in Barry’s Bay, Ontario. They have a really interesting settlement history along the Opeongo Colonization Road where different groups of settlers migrated. So they have different cultural groups in the area. In the tournament, the Irish, the Polish (Kashubian), the Algonquins, and the Germans make up the teams and they have a competition based on these ethnic groupings. The whole community comes out to the event dressed up and they have the four sections in the stands with all the colours from each team. It also embodies a lot of interesting symbolism and cultural practices that I don’t think people expect in small towns. So, there’s a lot of interesting elements of rural-ness and rural identity that are expressed. I’m just wrapping up those projects right now.

    Speed Round Ice Breakers:

    Are you involved in any clubs/associations?

    I play beer league hockey with a group of friends and I try to run a race every six months or so. I’m a bit of a weekend warrior with races. I’m there to do the race and have a good time and meet people.

    On the more professional side, I’m on the board for the Rural Development and Knowledge Mobilization Organization called the Canadian Rural Revitalization Foundation where we do lots of work with researchers and community members to try to build relationships and facilitate evidence-based decision making, knowledge translation, and all of those kinds of things.

    What is your favourite TV show right now?

    I don’t watch a ton of TV. I’m more of a binger where I’ll watch a show and then I won’t watch anything for a while. But if I were to pick my favourite show, I would have to say Vikings and a Spanish show called La casa de papel (Money Heist in English). It’s super interesting and I 100% recommend it!

    What are your current hobbies/interests?

    I jumped on the sourdough bandwagon and got a sourdough starter. I had a few successful and a few failed attempts but that was a new skill that I picked up during the pandemic. I also jumped into audio books recently. I never really read for fun because I read so much for work, so I usually don’t have much of a desire to pick up a book for a leisure read, but having the audio book option has made me much more inclined to just chill out and listen and not have to think about reading.

    What is your favourite book?

    This year I read a book called Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. It was written in 2014 but it was set in Toronto after there had been a global pandemic, which is super interesting and fitting to our current situation. It’s a completely fictitious story, it wasn’t meant to be a premonition, but it was a really interesting book.

    What is your favourite sport or sports team?

    My favourite sport is hockey but I’m not really one for pro sports. I don’t follow anyone too closely but I do indulge in the Olympics when they come around.

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    Categories: Blog, Member Showcases

  • Hazel Campbell: Winter 2021 Forum & Webinar Coordinator

    Wednesday, February 03, 2021 | By

     Hazel Campbell is a fourth-year Sport Management student at Brock University. She is completing a placement with the Centre for Sport Capacity this Winter as our Forum & Webinar Coordinator.

    Are you worried about graduating from university without gaining practical experience in your field? With my graduation date rapidly approaching, I was constantly worried that I would enter the workforce without the experience employers want. When I discovered the position of CSC Forum & Webinar Coordinator, I realized it was the perfect opportunity to gain experience in a professional setting.

    During my time at Brock, I learned a great deal about internship opportunities, but not about other experiential education options. I was thrilled to learn from Dr. Julie Stevens, CSC Director, about the possibility of doing a placement for course credit. Through this option, I will do a hands-on placement at the CSC, while also completing course assignments under the supervision of Dr. Stevens, Director, and Cole McClean, Coordinator. This is a unique, self-directed program where I help design the course structure and content, as well as my projects and tasks.

    Unlike the two-credit internship course, the independent study placement is only half a credit, meaning it requires fewer hours while still providing invaluable experience. This is an exciting option for students interested in taking additional credits simultaneously, or those with other commitments, such as work. I am glad I learned about these sorts of experiential education courses before my degree ended and I recommend students explore this option.

    As Forum & Webinar Coordinator, I will gain practical experience in event management, marketing, and communications. Through this position, I will improve my transferrable skills such as time management, organization, teamwork, and leadership. I think most students would be able to find skills that they could improve on through this placement since the responsibilities are so vast. Improving these skills will ensure success, regardless of what career path someone chooses to take.

    I am thrilled to put my Sport Management knowledge into action in a workplace setting and be part of the team that will create an exciting and engaging 2021 Safe Sport Forum.

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    Categories: Blog, Students

  • January Member Showcase: Dr. Shannon Kerwin

    Wednesday, January 27, 2021 | By

    We announce to you: Member Showcases!

    Every month we will showcase one of our amazing CSC members.

    You will have the opportunity to learn more about our members, and they will be able to showcase some of the interesting things that they are involved in that make the Centre for Sport Capacity such a unique place.

    Our January Member Showcase is Associate Professor with the Department of Sport Management at Brock University, Dr. Shannon Kerwin!

    We sat down (virtually) with Dr. Kerwin and learned a little more about her educational background, her passion for Human Resource Management, current research projects she is involved in, and some of her personal interests.

    Can you tell us a little bit about your background and what led you to specialize in your specific line of work?

    My passion for research started in my master’s program where I began to explore the dynamics that occur within volunteer boards of directors during decision making regarding sport programming. Over the years, I have come to realize the importance of understanding the people behind the governance of our sport system. This drive to uncover the mechanisms that foster productive, effective, and inclusive governance has continued to propel my research agenda moving forward.

    Can you tell us why you wanted to join the Centre for Sport Capacity and what you have gotten out of being part of the Centre so far?

    Membership with the CSC has provided me the opportunity to bridge my research with sport industry practice and enhance knowledge mobilization to the sport community.

    Can you speak about a class that you are teaching/a class you taught previously/one that you will be teaching soon?

    I teach Managing Human Resources in Sport Management. This is a third year class that introduces students to the broad array of HRM practices and policies they will encounter in the sport industry. The challenge of engaging students with the course content in this class really excites me. I understand the theory behind the work is not overly compelling, but I am also very passionate about the role that effective and compassionate HRM practices can have on the culture of a sport organization. I see the delivery of this content as my challenge to spark at least some thought in students to push them to be better. To push them to enter a sport organization and make their policies more inclusive; to challenge the status quo and increase internal communication to ensure more effective training and orientation; to understand the organizational-level benefits of creating thoughtful HRM strategies. If I can get at least 1-2 students to think differently about their role in sport because of the course, that “ignites my fire”.

    Can you speak about any recent, current, or future research projects that you are excited about?

    I am currently involved in two projects that are always a source of motivation for me. First, I am on a SSHRC grant with Dr. Dawn Trussell where we are embedded in sport Districts and learning about how each District governs their sport. We have a research team engaged in observations over a one year time period, which has allowed us to create invaluable connections with board members. The data, discussions, and connections we have collected and made are incredibly humbling. I am very privileged to work with this team and the participants.

    Second, my work with Canadian Women & Sport has opened my research to a formal connection as a Research Affiliate with e-Alliance: Gender Equity+ in Sport Research Hub. This work directly connects our academic research to movement towards enhancing gender equity in sport leadership and participation. This work is fulfilling for me personally and professionally.

    Speed-Round Ice Breakers:

    Are you involved in any clubs/associations?

    I coach both my children with Niagara United soccer.

    What is your favourite TV show right now?

    Lucifer on Netflix.

    What are your current hobbies/interests?

    I read a lot now. My favourite thing to do is sit with my 8 year old daughter at night and read side by side. I am currently reading Barak Obama’s book. It is great.

    What is your favourite book?

    I like the book just mentioned (although I am not finished it). I love the books by Chevy Stevens (a Canadian author).

    What is your favourite sport or sports team?

    My favourite sport to play is soccer. I grew up playing competitive soccer. My favourite sport to watch is basketball. Favourite team would be the Raptors.

    Now is the time to talk yourself up! what is something that you are proud of (awards, personal achievements, etc.) that you would like to share?

    I am not sure this is the right place for this, but I am honoured to have the job I have and work with the people I work with; both here at Brock and across the globe. The projects I have had the opportunity to work on have been fulfilling in their own right, but mostly because they have introduced me to wonderful individuals who have a passion for what I love – sport. These relationships that have been fostered are ones I will carry with me for a lifetime. I am most proud of these ‘achievements’.

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    Categories: Blog, Member Showcases

  • Matthew Kapogines: Fall 2020 Webinar Coordinator

    Friday, January 15, 2021 | By

    Matthew Kapogines is a Sport Management student at Brock University, who, after working with the CSC as an Assistant Coordinator, returned to work as our Webinar Coordinator for the Fall 2020 semester. Read on to hear Matt’s thoughts after completing his placement with the Centre for Sport Capacity. 

    Do you want to develop your skill set and leadership abilities, while working towards a meaningful goal? I did, and that is why I decided to inquire about a position with the Centre for Sport Capacity (CSC). Through this experience I learned about the CSC’s mission and goals. I learned that the Centre is a hub for sport management research, and for communicating important information to Local, Provincial and even National Sport Organizations across the country. The Centre has aspirations to expand the scope of their communications about new sport related information globally, with the hopes that the findings they share will positively impact the sport sector world-wide.

    In the fall of 2020, I secured my position as a Webinar Coordinator to develop a sport communications platform. The purpose of this platform was to encourage various local sport organizations, from all different sports sectors, to share information about themselves and increase their visibility via webinars. In my placement as Webinar Coordinator, I developed new skills and enhanced all existing skills like leadership, problem solving, communications and time management, which are all important in every workplace. I learned that communications within a team is crucial to the success of one’s event or project, and more about online communication strategies. This placement allowed me to grow my skills and become a more productive, resourceful and helpful team player.

    During my placement, some responsibilities included  creating PowerPoint templates that reflected the Centre’s image, setting up and developing an email platform to help communicate webinars, as well as planning and helping deliver four webinars alongside CSC or community members, and other partners (See Past Webinars). I had to ensure final webinar materials coincided with the Centre’s image. Time management, focus, and organizational skills were essential during this placement because of the number of different webinars that needed simultaneous attention. In addition to strengthening my current skills and learning about webinar creation, I also contributed to the Centre’s visibility by playing a major role in the setting-up of their new campaign moderator platform along with communication materials that will assist future CSC webinar coordinators in their placements. I even had the opportunity to moderate a webinar and ask questions that were submitted by the audience to the presenter. At first I was very anxious and nervous, but by the end of the first webinar I realized it was not too bad and I was much more confident in my abilities. Overall, I am proud of both my contributions to CSC and of my new gained confidence.

    My advice to future students who are working with the CSC, is to check your email multiple times per day to ensure you do not miss anything important that needs to be done immediately because there are a lot of unexpected and time sensitive tasks that pop up. Also, do not be afraid to ask questions because that is how missteps are avoided. Asking questions is also an important part of building knowledge. Both the CSC faculty and staff were very helpful and supportive during my placement. I would therefore strongly recommend that the new incumbent take full advantage of their insights and knowledge. I think the CSC’s visibility will grow over the coming years and they will become a major player and contributor in the sport sector as they are identifying and facilitating the hard conversations that can get overlooked. Facilitating these conversations as well as working with sport organizations and governments to ensure tools exist to address inequities can help make both sport and workplaces more inclusive and healthier environments.

    The Centre for Sport Capacity has given me an awareness of the issues in sport and has prepared me to be a force of good. Being a part of the Centre and creating informational webinars for sport organizations has made me more aware and sensitive to the issues around equality and the strategies that need to be developed to address them. My newly gained knowledge in this sector coupled with my existing knowledge in sport have empowered me to help organizations with reducing stereotyping, and champion for the return of ‘fun’ in sport that is ‘inclusive’ for all. My time with the CSC has helped build my sport philosophy in a more inclusive way that I will be carrying into my professional life.

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    Categories: Blog, Students

  • Emma Fedorchuk: Starting a Role With the CSC

    Tuesday, November 17, 2020 | By

    Emma Fedorchuk is a fourth-year Media and Communication Studies student at Brock University. She is interning with the Centre for Sport Capacity this Fall and Winter as our Marketing and Communications Assistant.

    Hello, my name is Emma Fedorchuk! I was recently brought on board with the Centre for Sport Capacity as a Marketing and Communications Intern and will be working with the Centre until April. I am currently in my last year at Brock as I work to complete my degree in Media and Communication Studies and am really trying to get the most I possibly can out of my final year. I am currently enrolled in a course titled “Internship in Communication, Popular Culture, or Film” (COMM 4F00), which allowed me to get involved in a part-time placement related to my field of study. The class gave us a list of placement opportunities and the CSC as well as the Brock-Canada Games positions immediately caught my eye. My interest and love for sport, paired with the tasks that both placements planned to assign to interns (social media upkeep, website management, marketing, event support, etc.) made me extremely excited for both roles. I worked on my resume and cover letters with Anneka Bosse, the coordinator for the course, and after multiple weeks of implementing various changes, I finally sent them off. After conducting the interviews, I realized that the Centre for Sport Capacity internship would probably be a better fit for my skill set, and happily, I was offered the position and eagerly accepted.

    Although I am now a retired athlete, sport still holds an irreplaceable space in my heart and I am forever indebted to the lessons that these games have taught me. Whether it was hockey, soccer, rowing, or badminton, I was always excited to pack up my bags and head off to a practice, a game, a race, or a match, not only because that meant I got to play the sport I loved, but because I got to be a part of the various communities that surround these games. In the past, I have worked and volunteered in various sport-related positions, whether that be reffing 5-year-olds on the soccer field or coaching young girls in development hockey camps, so I was very excited to get involved with the CSC to further my sports involvement, and to put the skills that I have accumulated through my schooling to the test in a workplace setting.

    I am lucky enough to have also secured a position with the Niagara River Lions as a Journalism Intern, which will provide me with even more insight about working in the world of sport. In this position, I am responsible for interviewing coaches, players, partners, etc., and developing, writing, and editing articles for the team website. Already this position has exposed me to the inner workings of a sport organization and continues to demonstrate how sport isn’t just about what happens out on the court/field/ice/water etc., rather, it is overwhelmingly about bringing communities together and giving them something to cheer about.

    There are many reasons why working with the CSC peaked my interest: their impressive list of research projects, the fantastic forums and webinars that they host, and their focus on knowledge mobilization, just to name a few. But I was especially excited about the fact that the CSC is still a relatively new organization who have only just begun to establish their brand. Joining the team at such an early stage, and being able to bring the ideas I have to the open ears and minds of the CSC team, has already energized me and motivated me to want to work diligently within the organization. In turn, I am very eager to help come up with new ideas that will showcase all of the amazing things that the Centre has to offer.

    I believe that the contemporary perspective I have surrounding social media and marketing will be helpful to the Centre, and will aid in making the content that the CSC produces more accessible for a larger audience to consume, participate in, and enjoy. As a member of Generation Z, it is no surprise that social media is a part of my day-to-day life, as my daily usage report on my phone will attest to. In my days of scrolling through the multitude of platforms that the individuals in Silicon Valley have so carefully crafted to keep my attention, I have been exposed to not only the various emerging trends that seem to pop up on a daily basis, but also to the dos and don’ts of implementing and maintaining a brand image that will be effective in engaging a specific audience. I think that I’ll be able to provide the CSC with a fresh set of eyes when it comes to getting our message out to our community.

    During my time with the Centre, I hope to learn more about the inner workings of the CSC organizational culture and build professional relationships with various members of the Centre. I am excited to marry the theoretical that I have learned in an educational setting, to the practical that is hands-on work experience itself. I am confident that this work experience will be extremely helpful to the improvement of my hard and soft skills, and will help me expand my knowledge of the unlimited potential that working in sport has to offer. I am extremely excited to have been brought on board and can’t wait to get the ball rolling with some fantastic content!

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    Categories: Blog, Students

  • Interview with Corliss Bean, Ph.D. – Pivoting Youth Sport and Recreation Programming in the Wake of COVID-19

    Tuesday, November 10, 2020 | By

    We sat down with Corliss Bean, Ph.D., Assistant Professor within the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies, and member of the Centre for Sport Capacity. Dr. Bean will be a panelist alongside Harry Bell of Canadian Jumpstart Charities and Erin Graybiel of the YMCA of Niagara in our upcoming webinar, “Pivoting Youth Sport and Recreation Programming in the Wake of COVID-19: Recommendations and Resources,” that will be held on Wednesday November 25th, from 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm on Lifesize.

    In our interview, we talked about the challenges that youth sport and recreation programming are facing amidst COVID-19, and what the webinar has in store for attendees.

    For those unaware but interested in attending the webinar, could you provide a brief description of the challenges youth sport and recreation programming have been dealing with as we live amongst COVID-19?

    The global outbreak of COVID-19 has resulted in closure of gyms, arenas, pools, dance and fitness studios, parks and playgrounds. Many youth are therefore not able to actively participate in their regular recreation activities outside of their homes. Under such conditions, many youth tend to be less physically active, have longer screen time, and also experience poorer mental health effects in the face of isolation from normal life compared to pre-COVID-19 times. Youth-serving organizations are working to engage youth through virtual sport and recreation programming. Such online offerings can serve to increase access to programs, activities, and program staff that would otherwise be inaccessible. However, this comes with its own challenges related to access to digital technologies

    What does youth sport and recreation programming during COVID-19 truly look like in practice?

    Tune into the webinar to find out! There are a lot of creative and engaging ways to engage youth through sport and recreation programming during COVID-19 both indoors and outdoors. Both Erin and Happy will share some great tips and resources that practitioners can use and applying within their own programming.

    What is the webinar going to be like for the average participant? 

    The webinar will share three perspectives from individuals who have diverse roles and experiences in the youth sport and recreation sectors. This webinar aims to provide recommendations and resources for all stakeholders that can help with program planning, implementation, and evaluation. This webinar will include three guests who will discuss lessons learned, best practices, and supports available to the sector during a time of uncertainty.

    If I have questions will I be able to address those at the webinar?

    Yes! There will be multiple opportunities throughout the webinar ask questions.

    Can I contact the webinar speakers after the event?

    Yes, the webinar panelists will provide their email addresses and links to their websites and social media platforms in case webinar attendees want to get in touch following the webinar.

     

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    Categories: Blog, Webinars/Forums

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