When stepping into a new era in your life, you never truly know what to expect. There is a long, winding path that could lead to success, or to what can be seen as a learning experience.

Ever since I started my role as one of two sports editors at The Eyeopener, I have faced this crossroads.

From not knowing how to read or write properly until I was in grade two, struggling in school as I was always just a step slow, to contemplating my entire future—my palms pressed up against my face as I sat on my twin bed—during the winter break of 2022, deciding if I should drop out of school or continue struggling in my business degree, I was lost, unsure of what the rest of my life would possibly look like.

After all of that, I ended up switching programs to study journalism at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU)—realizing I could turn my passion for sports into a career felt like entering my house after a long car ride home.

Stepping into The Eye office as a sports editor in August 2025, I felt like an imposter. Not good enough, not smart enough, not intuitive enough…simply, not enough.

The more and more I thought about those feelings, the more I thought about how I got here and the hurdles I had to overcome to reach a point in my career where I could create something special like Home Court Advantage.

In this editorial role, I have learned that regardless of how I got here, it is my duty to leave a positive impact on sports by creating a space where no one feels like an imposter. Whether it is giving individuals or communities a voice that they might not otherwise have, or providing a contributor with a platform to show their work, there is no area in sports where you don’t belong.

It’s funny when you think about it–the action of pushing, kicking or swatting an inanimate object can bring so many people together.

That is where the beauty of sport lies. You don’t have to feel inadequate, you don’t have to feel like you don’t fit—as long as you are actively and positively contributing to the game you love, there is always room for you.

And that is what this special issue is about.

Sports is a field of opportunity and you have to play your role, regardless of what it may be. You can’t close off your mind to the influence you might have.

Now looking back at my time here, I can confidently say the success I have had is the lessons that I have learned. Whether it’s from my co-workers or my contributors—the sky is the limit when it comes to making something beautiful, because at the end of the day, there is no limit on the impact you can have on the world and it surely doesn’t stop if you are not playing.