By Todd Ash-Duah
Over 70 varsity sports games are played at the home of the Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold, the Mattamy Athletic Centre (MAC), each year. Although athletes get most of the spotlight, some students play a vital role in fostering the sports environment at the university.
Dylan Lambert, a third-year industrial engineering student, first saw a job posting on Instagram for several open positions at the MAC in 2021. The role of music operator prompted him to apply, especially as an avid music fan who plays many instruments.
After three years on the job, being able to “control the vibe” by choosing songs during varsity basketball games elates him.
“Seeing people dancing in the crowd and the players sing the songs and bop their heads to the music makes me feel like I’m doing a good job,” Lambert said. “And then also getting compliments from people is the most amazing feeling in the world.”
Robert Langridge is the MAC’s game operations manager and was a student at TMU—then Ryerson University—from 2012 to 2016. He said, “Every day is different” at the MAC.
Langridge started as a game day operations volunteer, then landed an usher job before working his way up through the ranks to become the game day supervisor for the hockey teams. He now oversees the entirety of games for all varsity sports teams.
“And then also getting compliments from people is the most amazing feeling in the world”
He said starting to work at the MAC was an “easy decision” for him. Langridge added that working for the Bold now is an “amazing job,” and for a student, it’s an opportunity that’s “tough to beat.”
“It works very well with the student’s schedule,” Langridge said. “And if you like sports, you get to be around a lot of sports.”
Tole Kakaletris, a second-year sport media student, first volunteered for the Bold Broadcast Group in early 2023 as a camera operator and a sideline reporter before delving into the on-air side as a play-by-play and colour announcer.
As Kakaletris continues to hone his craft calling games, he’s begun to comprehend the intricacies of both announcer roles.
“With colour commentary, you’re like the sidekick. You’re there to accompany and complement what the play-by-play announcer has to say,” he said. “But usually with play-by-play, you’re the lead voice…you’re the one calling a lot the shots.”
Kakaletris said nothing beats calling games at the MAC, considering the historical prestige of the venue.
“Being in that atmosphere, you can’t beat that,” he said. “There’s just an aura in the building that rubs off well in a good way.”
Second-year sport media student Marc Rende recently debuted as a colour commentator at the MAC. He called the final game of the regular season for the Bold women’s basketball team as they took on the York Lions.
“There’s just an aura in the building that rubs off well in a good way”
Rende’s interest in spotlighting women’s basketball and long-time passion for sports is what initially attracted him to calling games, and he plans to pursue more on-air opportunities in the future.
“When you commentate a game, it gives you the same adrenaline rush as if you were one of the players,” Rende said.
Langridge said that hiring students and providing them with opportunities is very important. He said he enjoys giving students opportunities because they’re invested in the university.
“If you talk to students who worked [these jobs] currently or have in the past, a lot of them have a really good time working here,” he said. “They want to see the teams do good and they enjoy the atmosphere because of that.”
“To be there up close and be involved in the action as the music operator is a privilege—it’s awesome”
Although Lambert “sometimes gets in trouble” for accidentally playing a song with a curse word, he believes being able to surprise and introduce fans to new songs while also enjoying the games at the MAC serves as a unique opportunity.
“I also get super excited to watch the games because I’m such a huge sports fan,” Lambert said. “To be there up close and be involved in the action as the music operator is a privilege—it’s awesome.”
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