The SnaP: Season 1 Finale

Welcome to the twenty third episode of The SnaP, a SPort MAnagement (SPMA) Hub digital show, featuring voices from the sport industry.

As you probably already know, my name’s Anastasiya Romanska and I have had the pleasure of hosting the last 22 episodes. We’ve interviewed past and current Olympians, CEOs, reporters and everyone in between! We’ve had a lot of laughs, shared stories and had some tough conversations. To wrap up these amazing few months, I’m going to share with you one thing that really stood out to me from each interview, so let’s take a look back!

It all started off with figure skating legend Elvis Stojko, who told us the importance of really giving it your all and working hard, without expecting immediate gratification.

The CEO of The Coaching Association of Canada, Lorraine Lafreniere shared with us her experience being a woman in the sport industry and told us how important it is for women to have a strong voice.

Canadian gymnast Peng-Peng Lee reminded us that young people also need to be brave and speak up for themselves and what they’re feeling.

Ben Uzoh, a professional basketball player and former Raptor, joined us on Episode 4 to talk about branding and the importance of building a brand for yourself. A theme that would continue on later on the show.

We had Don Costante, event management expert, who told us how vital mentorship is in the industry. He was all about internships, shadowing and getting experience.

Global Sport Expert and Baseball Economist, Vince Gennaro joined us to talk about the impact COVID-19 is having on sports and how the industry is forced to adapt and maybe even go virtual.

We had Fox Sports Reporter and Founder of Galvanize, Laura Okmin on to talk all about building relationships and not sources… a piece of advice that really stuck with me over the past few months.

In episode 8, Marie-Eve Marleau – Project Manager of the World Olympians Association gave us an interesting perspective, saying that sport isn’t always about the game, but about giving back and making a difference.

Our special episode with President of the Toronto Six National Women’s Hockey League, Digit Murphy and Pride Sports Report founder Anthony Clark, explored the connection between sports and the LGBT+ community. We had some honest, real conversations about opening doors and breaking down barriers.

Paralympic Swimming Champion, Katarina Roxon reminded us that Sports should be a place for everyone, despite any differences.

Episode 11, brought us 400 metre hurdler Sage Watson, who echoed the importance of having a brand for yourself as an athlete and being authentic on social media.

Gord Grace, President and CEO of Ontario University Athletics, gave us the advice to AIM HIGH and really go for our dreams!

Ron Seaver, the founder and president of the National Sports Forum, told us about pushing through the hard times and making your way to the top. The sport industry is a hard one and you can’t get discouraged if the journey is slow.

Director of Membership Experience for the Miami Marlins, Brian Jemison told us all about having a sports mentality, being competitive and hardworking and bringing those skills into other industries.

Andrew Poje, champion ice dancer, reminded us that being an athlete is way more than those few minutes you see during a competition or game.

Bill Manning, President and CEO of Toronto FC and The Argos, was realistic, but optimistic about the sport industry’s future after COVID-19. And we both can’t wait to get back into the stadium!

In our 17th episode, the hosts and producer of Sport Tokz with Sport Profz joined us to talk about how amazing things can come out of bad situations.

Olympian Hurdler Sarah Wells was on the show to share her “I Believe” message and urge people of all ages and backgrounds to believe in themselves and their dreams.

CEO of USA curling, Jeff Plush, showed us that it was possible to start a new role during a pandemic and still succeed… and all it takes is hard work and perseverance.

Lee Michaud, CEO of USA Diving, shared how special it was to return to the sport organization that he competed for in his youth

The director of the Paralympic Foundation of Canada, Dean Brokop, talked all about sport and fundraising and the human connection.

To end off, Brian MacPherson shared with us why he loves Canadian sports and honestly, I might be biased, but I really think Canada does it best!

It was a pleasure to hear every single person’s story and amazing to share the advice they shared with us. Although they all have different backgrounds, everyone has a common love of sports and that’s really what brings us together. I want to thank all of you for tuning in and being a part of our community!

Click here to scroll back up and view our digital conversation.