A mid-October trip to Toronto afforded graduate students of sport management a chance to hear from industry professionals and network with UWindsor kinesiology alumni.

Professor Jess Dixon organized the experience for students in his MHK course in strategic management.

The group toured facilities of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, including the MLSE Launchpad, which encourages young people to reach their full potential through sport. It features a professional-scale basketball court, a rock-climbing wall, and a large teaching kitchen. Staff provides physical and mental health programming free of charge.

“Visiting the MLSE Launchpad enabled students to see what goes on in the not-for-profit sector of sports, and learn how major professional sport organizations are giving back to the communities in which they operate,” said MHK student Zachary Evans.

Dr. Dixon also took the students to the Mattamy Athletic Centre, a repurposing of the former Maple Leaf Gardens to house Ryerson University’s athletic department; the Toronto offices of the sports marketing and talent management agency Wasserman; and a reception with UWindsor grads.

“This event allowed us to interact with alumni from the sport management program and provided insight into some of the careers that are available to us after graduation,” Evans said. “Alumni representing a broad range of sport industry sectors and job classifications were in attendance.”

Read a more detailed report of the trip on the Human Kinetics website.

—Zachary Evans