Students

  • Caroline Hummell – A Municipality & Me: Reflecting on the Benefits of Community Research Collaborations

    Thursday, October 07, 2021 | By

    Caroline is a first year Recreation and Leisure PhD student and member of the Centre of Sport Capacity at Brock University. This past summer, she was one of ten students selected to participate in the 2021 Summer Community Improvement Program with Community Researchers, an initiative that pairs Canadian university and college students with communities to conduct research projects. Read to learn about Caroline’s participation in the pilot launch of the program and key lessons learned from her experiences.

    Introduction

    Sport and recreation organizations and members of the academic community are beginning to see the reciprocal value in forming partnerships due to opportunities that involve increasing capacity to carry out research, gaining guidance on developing reports, and learning the best methods for communicating findings. As a graduate student within the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies at Brock University who recently partnered with a municipality on a research project to explore barriers to participation in youth sport and recreational programming, I can speak to the benefits of such a collaboration. Therefore, the purpose of this blog is to present some key lessons learned and valuable skills improved because of my positive experiences with said partnership.

    From Research to Reflection: Lessons Learned

    In addition to the beneficial results gathered from the data, I learned a lot simply from the opportunity to collaborate with community stakeholders on a project. Below I share two key lessons learned from my experience in this collaborative community-research project.

    Lesson #1: Youth will share their thoughts- they just need an opportunity

    This project truly emphasized the importance of engaging youth in research and seeking their input. When given the opportunity, youth will provide candid and insightful feedback if the questions prioritize their perspectives. By considering youth’s perspectives and opinions, creating a relationship based on mutual respect, and assuring youth that their feedback will be taken seriously, they will be extremely open to answering your questions. It was incredible reading through every survey response and focus group transcripts and feeling how much the youth wanted to help to improve their municipality’s programming. As such, our job as researchers and community members is to take this feedback and inform key stakeholders (e.g., youth) that their perspectives are being considered when adapting and improving programming. In sum, this experience provided me with the assurance that we can ask youth tough questions, and they will answer them honestly and insightfully

    Lesson #2: Aim for your research to have impact in the real world

    Research can certainly have an impact in areas outside of the academic sphere, such as in business, government, or civil society. Through my experience with this project, I witnessed firsthand how research can positively affect a specific community in Ontario. The municipality’s stakeholders involved in the project were adamant about using the findings to inform the improvement of existing programs, but they also felt motivated to use the insight to take on new projects. For example, they are using the report and infographic I developed in a presentation for their city council to open discussion around the development of new initiatives for the youth within the municipality (e.g., skateboarding events and study group nights). Further, in our focus group, it was terrific witnessing the youth participants begin to brainstorm different responsibilities that they and their peers could take on to help enhance their municipality’s programming, such as assisting in the marketing of new programs and decorating the sport and recreation facilities to attract more youth. Seeing research findings applied practically indeed highlights its impact on community stakeholders. By stepping outside of my academic realm, I could apply my research skills to help a municipality that genuinely cares about its community members

    Improving my Skills as a Young Researcher

    In addition to the key learnings presented above, this project helped me reflect on specific professional and life skills I improved from this experience. These skills are discussed below.

    Clear and consistent communication. From the inception of this project, I made a poignant effort to keep municipality stakeholders “in the loop” every step of the way. Whether this was having an in-depth needs assessment meeting at project commencement to weekly check-in emails, I provided regular updates to my team to keep everyone informed of the project’s progress. In addition, I learned how to select what information was relevant to share and what information could be saved for the final report. Finally, I discovered the best methods for relaying different kinds of information by utilizing various forms of communication methods throughout the duration of this experience (i.e., virtual meetings, emails, and phone calls). As a result, I sharpened my overall communication skills significantly.

    Active listening. During meetings with the municipality team, it was important to ensure their needs were heard and respected. Therefore, before each meeting, I drafted an agenda to guide the conversation and left room for open discussion. I also prepared a list of questions and actively took notes when my team members responded. By being prepared for our meetings, it allowed me to improve my active listening skills as I was able to be fully present and engaged in the discussions from the start.

    Knowledge mobilization. Since I was working with municipal stakeholders and youth in the community, a primary objective was to produce a report that communicated the project results in a concise yet engaging manner. As such, I was able to use creative freedom to add colour and visuals to the final report. For example, when presenting the focus group results, I focused on limiting the amount of text included and emphasized key participant quotes instead. Furthermore, in addition to the main report, I created an infographic full of colour, numbers, and visuals to summarize the key findings in an easy-to-share, easy-to-understand document. These techniques tested my ability to identify key messages and contextualize knowledge products to specific stakeholder groups. As such, this project has allowed me to refine my knowledge mobilization skills.

     Summary

    The Summer 2021 Community Improvement Research Program was an incredibly valuable experience. I learned essential lessons around engaging youth in research and building partnerships with community members. Through this experience, I was also able to improve professional skills related to communication, active listening, and knowledge mobilization. In sum, participation in the project, and the course overall, has contributed to my growth and development as a Brock University and Centre for Sport Capacity graduate student.

    Read the Completed Report Here

    Categories: Blog, Students

  • Bobby Dhaliwal: 2021 Spring/Summer Digital Marketing & Research Assistant

    Monday, September 13, 2021 | By

     

    Bobby Dhaliwal is an incoming Sport Management graduate student at Brock University who gained a well-rounded sport industry experience through his hybrid role as Digital Marketing and Research Assistant at the Centre for Sport Capacity. Read to learn about Bobby’s thoughts after completing his role during the 2021 Spring/Summer term.

    As I was nearing the end of my sport management undergraduate journey at Brock University in spring, 2021, I was looking for a position that would provide me with an outlet to present my abilities in the sport marketing realm. I spent the past four summers gaining experience in diverse areas of the sport industry to enhance my skillset consistently over time. These roles included a combination of employed and voluntary positions such as Student Ambassador for the Toronto FC, Game Day Operations for Canada Basketball, the Guelph Nighthawks, and the Brampton Beast.

    As a dedicated student with a progressive mindset, I knew by my fourth year that I was capable of applying newfound concepts to positively impact an organization. The CSC provided an outlet for me to gain both digital marketing and research experience to best prepare me for my career aspirations. As I am starting my Masters at Brock this September, Dr. Michael Van Bussel and I agreed completing this role at the CSC would be a valuable part of my graduate studies.

    I will start by reflecting on the Digital Marketing and Communications aspect of my role. As someone who passionately analyzes consumer trends and the marketing execution by various sport organizations, the CSC provided an outlet to put my creative abilities into practice. Through the use of Adobe Illustrator and Canva, I had the privilege of creating all CSC promotional material over the past four months. The material consisted of social media graphics, video graphics, brochures, and unique post captions to maximize consumer engagement on all channels.

    Working for a research centre at a university made content creation more challenging as I had to maintain creativity while adhering to Brock University’s guidelines for online content. This forced me to brainstorm ideas more efficiently as a creative. I was able to implement new ideas such as video clips while ensuring colour codes, logo usage, fonts and text followed guidelines and portrayed the message our directors were looking for. Additionally, this process further developed my self-organization skills as I had to make sure to organize all draft and final version files in the appropriate team folders for all current and future members to access through OneDrive.

    The sport industry is a fast-paced environment that requires you to adapt quickly to be successful. During the preparation period for our Safe Sport Forum that was held from June 16-18th, consistent meetings were held to ensure the completion of all requirements ahead of time. Thus, I was not confined to a single role due to the diverse needs of the CSC. I found myself contributing to various areas of the Centre such as communications and data management to ensure success.

    For instance, I took on the task of searching and sorting all OUA teams’ Athletic Directory emails on Microsoft Excel to ensure an efficient rollout of our Safe Sport Forum communications. The inevitable cross-over tasks helped me build teamwork skills as I contributed to the roles of my co-workers when they needed assistance. However, this did not feel like additional work as the CSC does an excellent job of embracing all members of its team. Dr. Michael Van Bussel (Director) facilitated all team meetings by organizing a weekly agenda and highlighting specific areas to address with the names of contributors listed accordingly. This encouraged consistent engagement, allowing me to present new ideas and provide the team with updates on important tasks. Contributing to these meetings served as a major confidence boost for me as an up-and-coming professional. I was able to gain valuable perspective from our team while merging my own knowledge and research to consistently find new ways of development.

    The second part of my role came as a Research Assistant as part of a partnership between the CSC and Community Researchers. This process offered the greatest opportunity for growth in my professional development. After completing courses such as SPMA 3P07 (Quantitative Analysis) and SPMA 3P17 (Qualitative Analysis), it was time for me to apply my acquired knowledge as I aim to earn a Master’s degree in the near future. The CSC research project required the completion of a four-part training program that helped me complete a client a needs assessment, a research proposal, a survey, clean data, and create a final report for Parks and Recreation Ontario. Under the guidance of Michael Harker (Director at Community Researchers), I gained valuable exposure to Microsoft Excel as I worked tirelessly to identify the different types of data, clean data, create different types of charts, and implement the appropriate cross-tabs to maximize the effectiveness of the report. These are all applicable skills to many different areas of the sport industry as it continues to evolve.

    If you are a student looking to diversify your skillset under the guidance of very experienced professionals, you must consider an opportunity at the Centre for Sport Capacity. The Centre is able to offer a variety of experiential learning opportunities that can fit your needs whether if they are internship opportunities, volunteer opportunities, research opportunities, and more. Be sure to visit the CSC website for more information and submit an intake form here.

    Categories: Blog, Students

  • Ryan Hyndman: 2021 Spring & Summer Marketing, Communications, and Business Development Coordinator

    Monday, August 30, 2021 | By

    Ryan Hyndman is a fourth-year Sport Management student at Brock University, who took on the role of CSC Marketing, Communications, and Business Development Coordinator (Intern), as part of an experiential education credit. Read to learn Ryan’s thoughts after completing his Internship with the Centre for Sport Capacity.

    Are you a student looking to get involved and gain valuable experience? Look no further than the Centre for Sport Capacity (CSC).

    I cannot believe that my time with the CSC is complete after the fastest four months of my life comes to a close! Doing this Sport Management internship with the CSC has certainly been a highlight throughout my time at Brock University. My experience with the Centre provided valuable exposure to many aspects of the sport industry, which allowed me to develop a wide variety of skills that will help me become a better sport manager throughout my career.

    In terms developing skills, communications was my most significant area of improvement. Under the guidance of Dr. Julie Stevens, Director and Cole McClean, Coordinator, I learned that being detail oriented when it comes to comms work is extremely important. Whether it is putting out a social media post or even just sending an email to someone for the first time, it is critical that the goal of what you are trying to say lands with the reader. Essentially, you need to write so that others pay attention, and I developed this ability from my time with the CSC.

    Much of my communications work was the result of being the hands-on lead for social media throughout the summer. I created a comprehensive social media schedule that would house all the information needed for a post until it was ready to be posted. I was responsible for the creation and distribution of more than 50 posts over two social media channels (Twitter and LinkedIn). This contributed to the CSC growing to 455 combined, social media followers and gaining more than 120,000 social media impressions since August 2020.

    I contributed to almost all aspects of the CSC in my tasks this summer and it made me a more well-rounded professional. Having the exposure to a wide variety of tasks not only allowed me to develop many new skills, but also allowed me to discover what areas I enjoy and might want to pursue as a career. I learned that data collection and analysis tasks exist in the sport industry and are something that I enjoy. Being able to locate, analyze, and organize information and data using the appropriate technology helped me discover that tasks related to that skill may be a job I want to pursue.

    For data management, two experiences influenced my attraction to these tasks. First, I conducted an extensive CSC metrics tracking initiative where I gathered data on many different aspects of growth within the Centre. For example, social media metrics such as followers, likes, shares/retweets, impressions and engagements were all compiled. Alternatively, I also worked on an industry research project for Parks and Recreation Ontario (PRO). Through the CSC’s partnership with Community Researchers, I participated in a four-part research training program. In these sessions I learned how to interact with a client, create an effective survey, analyze the data using spreadsheets, and present the data in report form. These projects were some of my favourite responsibilities this summer and directly contributed to the development of hard skills in the area of data management.

    Students may believe that an Internship within Brock may not provide as much exposure into the industry as other organizations, but that was not the case. I was introduced to many industry professionals with plenty of different backgrounds. Being able to pick their brains on their expertise helped immensely when working through tasks. The combination of exposure to professors and professionals shaped me with a multidimensional perspective of the of the sport industry, which will make me a unique job candidate.

    My advice for students is, if you have the opportunity to get involved with the CSC, jump at the experience and continue to develop an extensive network of professionals that have a vast range of industry knowledge. Specifically, marketing and communications are functional areas where the CSC provides massive opportunity to take the next step in terms of skill development. The best times I’ve had in both high school and university are when I participated in extracurriculars and opportunities such as this position. It is important to take advantage of an experience like this when it is available because I genuinely feel as though I have a competitive advantage over my peers with what I have gained by working with the CSC.

    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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • Matthew Kapogines: Starting a New Role With the CSC

    Monday, August 31, 2020 | By

     

    Matthew Kapogines is a fourth year Sport Management student at Brock University. He previously worked with the Centre last Fall as Assistant Coordinator. He has returned this year to be our Webinar Coordinator.

    I initially learned about the Centre through SPMA 3P02, an experiential learning Sport Management course that provides students with practical work experience via placements in the Sport sector. I was given a list of available placement opportunities and the position of Assistant Coordinator with the CSC immediately caught my attention. 

     

    As a direct result of this placement, I built up the confidence this summer to reach out to Centre Director Dr. Julie Stevens and inquire about any experiential positions that might be available this fall with the CSC. After several conversations, Dr. Stevens found she needed a Webinar Coordinator to assist with the Centre’s marketing and communication initiatives and agreed to supervise me in this placement.   

    As Webinar Coordinator, I will be responsible for developing and launching the CSC’s new webinar series by organizing multiple webinars this fall. This new series will support the Centre in achieving its mission of providing practical support to sport organizations in the Niagara Region, across Canada, and abroad.

    This opportunity with the CSC will be incredibly helpful as I hope to pursue a career in event planning and management after I graduate, so the chance to help organize some professional webinars for the first time is invaluable to me. I am also looking forward to building and strengthening my professional relationships with the members of the CSC through the webinars, as members will be able to use the webinars as a time to showcase some of their research and share their knowledge with community members and sport organizations.

    I hope to put my organizational, research and communication skills that I gained in my previous work placement to good use in this position with the CSC. I also plan to use my past experiences and unique perspective to generate new and original ideas that could make the Centre’s webinars more interactive, enticing and engaging. I hope to support our members in crafting webinars in a way that will allow participants to more easily acquire new knowledge by making them more interactive and inclusive.

    All in all, I am incredibly excited to start working with the CSC and to expand my event planning skills, and my knowledge of the Sport sector.

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    Categories: Blog, Students

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