Contributions to the world of sport go further than the field or a court. At Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), current students and alumni, whether behind a lens or in front of a camera, are changing the way people interact with sports.

A growing group of students and alumni are getting involved in sport media: the various channels—including broadcast, print and online platforms—which cover professional and amateur sports. 

Less than a year after graduating from TMU’s media production program, Magdalena Grammenopoulos is working full-time as a content and communications coordinator for Canada Basketball, the country’s national organization for basketball. 

Having interned for the organization during her final semester at TMU, she was able to transition into a full-time position last spring. She shoots photos, creates graphics and edits video for their social media pages and also helps lead brand marketing strategy.

Her path into the industry started on campus. During her time at TMU, Grammenopoulos worked as a videographer for the Bold, an experience she said was advantageous. 

“My time at TMU and working with [the] Bold allowed me to try new things as a creative, step outside my comfort zone, expand my horizons and meet a lot of people who ended up being valuable connections,” said Grammenopoulos.

She said she had never worked in sports a day in her life before applying for the Bold videographer job and she understands the feelings of fear and uncertainty amongst young creatives.

“Even if you don’t feel like it’s something you’ve ever done before so you’re kind of scared…just try to put yourself out there. You’ll never know what doors it might open,” said Grammenopoulos.

Now having gotten herself through the sports door, Grammenopoulas hopes to offer representation to fellow women-identifying creators. “I want to be as much of an inspiration as I can to girls and women who are trying to work in sport,” she said. “It can be a little bit scary, especially as girls, if you don’t see as many people in those roles that you want to work in.”

Josh Kim is a 2024 sport media alum and is currently the team photographer for the PWHL’s Ottawa Charge and a live social contributor with the NHL. Before landing these jobs, Kim’s sport media expertise was developed at internships and through personal projects.

During his third year at TMU, Kim interned as a story editor for SportsCentre where he would clip highlight packages together for the show’s program on TSN. He later completed similar internships with BarDown and Sportsnet, creating and producing content for the networks. 

Kim spent his final year working with Grammenopoulos to produce a 10-episode docuseries titled, Order of Business, which followed the Bold men’s hockey team throughout the 2023-24 season.

“A lot of work went into that. [Grammenopoulos] did a lot of the heavy lifting on the editing side because she’s much more well-versed in video, but that was a proud moment because we poured a lot of hours into that project,” said Kim. “Seeing it all come together and how well received it ended up being was great.” 

Just like Kim and Grammenopoulos, current students are carving out their paths in the industry. 

For second-year sport media student Liam MacLean, spare time and a desire to learn a new skill kickstarted his journey.

MacLean’s entry to sport media dates back to his high school years when he was growing a fan page on the Seattle Mariners on Instagram. Having built a portfolio with posts he designed for the account, MacLean was able to land graphic design positions at TSN, BarDown and the TMU Bold shortly after starting his first year. 

MacLean said connecting with fellow creatives already versed in the industry “snowballed” him into various work opportunities.

“There’s always a need for graphic design in the industry. Everybody needs graphics and if you have those skills, it’s useful to pretty much just about anybody,” said MacLean.

For MacLean, one challenge he faced was finding his place in sports media. Even if it’s not his end goal, he’s content in the field where he’s found himself. 

“My favorite thing about graphic design is there’s so many different ways to express yourself. There’s no right way to do it, there’s no wrong way to do it,” said MacLean. “Everybody who tries to become a graphic designer has a chance because they have their own unique style.”

Jacksyn Howard, another second-year sport media student, found his first position in sport media unexpectedly. 

“I used to play basketball and got injured. While I was injured, doing rehab, I was the one who was supposed to film the games on our little camera so we could watch the film, and then I ended up being like, ‘oh, this is fun.’” 

That initial amusement turned into Howard bringing his own camera to games. His journey “evolved from there,” and he now shoots for university athletics, including for the Bold and for professional athletes. 

Although he’s also in charge of producing promotional videos for TMU games and events, it’s the game highlight clips that Howard finds most fun.

“The cool thing about sports is, you never know. Once the two teams line up, it’s 50-50 and everything that happens is unexpected, so it’s cool to be able to get those moments.”

One unexpected moment Howard caught on camera was a shootout goal during a women’s hockey game in January. 

“It was super crazy and it was this viral moment. It got posted on TSN, it got posted everywhere,” said Howard.

Howard also picks up freelance work from people in the city who know of him, his more recent and notable projects being for Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander’s YouTube channel.

“It’s a lot of ‘run and gun,’ which is different from sports where you shoot in the same place every time,” said Howard. “You’re switching settings, constantly changing stuff.”

While camerawork is a practical skill, not all jobs in sport media require technical equipment. Chrysoula Dimitrakopoulos, a fourth-year sport media student and social media assistant for the TMU basketball teams, started with just her phone. 

Her time in the industry began with covering the Raptors 905, creating reels for the team’s social media. From there, she built a network by attending basketball-related events in the city. Doing so helped her find a position with the Bold men’s basketball team.   

“Coach Dave and [lead assistant coach] Jeremie Kayeye hired me on the spot, knowing I literally just had a phone and that I was just getting started,” said Dimitrakopoulos. 

Her devotion to sports media grew from there. 

“That summer, I bought a camera. I was like, ‘You know what? I’m just going to try it out.’ From there, it’s been all things youth sports, TMU basketball, running their social pages,” said Dimitrakopoulos. 

While rewarding, the work doesn’t come without hurdles. For Dimitrakopoulos, one of those is sometimes not receiving much recognition for her efforts.

“One thing I really struggle with is, you don’t hear ‘thank you’ a lot. It’s kind of draining when you feel like you’re not being appreciated. You’re putting in all this work and you’re tirelessly doing everything you can and you barely hear a ‘thank you’ or ‘good job,’” she said. “I’m not saying you need the validation of other people, but sometimes it’s nice, it just gives you the extra push.”

But she doesn’t let a lack of acknowledgement faze her, she said, “I just kept doing my thing.” 

One of the biggest takeaways these creatives have from their time in the industry is that connections go a long way. 

For Kim, it’s the “people that make sport media really special.” 

“There are so many intangibles with what you learn in the classroom, and it’s great to look forward to that, but what really makes a difference and what really moves your life forward is the people that you meet in the conversations that you have,” said Kim. 

Howard said the opportunity to connect with fellow creatives in Toronto was the main reason he chose TMU. “This is the place to be. I mean, you have all the big sports here, the NHL, NBA, MLB. I thought it was a better place to get my career started,” he said.

At TMU, a baseline seat at a Bold game, a borrowed camera or a late-night editing session before a deadline are launchpads for these creatives to propel themselves further in sport media. 

MacLean said his work at TMU put him on the map and emphasizes the resources students should take advantage of.

“I’m not trying to put anyone down, but I look at a lot of people in my program who kind of do the bare minimum. They kind of just get by, and I think more people need to start utilizing what TMU has to offer,” he said. “You’re downtown in the heart of Toronto. There’s so many different people that you can reach out to, and people just need to utilize it more.”

With sports media being such a competitive field, Kim said having faith in yourself is the most important thing. “If you don’t believe in yourself, then you’re already a step behind. The one thing you can control in an industry as unpredictable as sports is how much confidence you have in your own ability.”

For aspiring creatives seeking similar careers, Grammenopoulos encourages them to work for what they want. 

“Closed mouths don’t get fed. Definitely don’t be afraid to ask. There’s always going to be somebody that has an answer for you or has an opportunity for you.” 

With files from Hannah Thompson