Top 10 Things I Did During My TSN Summer Internship

All my life, I’ve been passionate about sports. I started playing hockey at the age of four and chased my dreams all the way to a roster spot on a NCAA Division-1 hockey team. But entering my senior year, having spent so many years on the ice, field, court, or gym, I was eager to experience a different side of the sports world. When I turned my focus to my career goals, working at TSN was the obvious choice.

I applied for a summer internship in the TSN Marketing department, which would allow me to broaden my love for sports in a different capacity behind the scenes. The four months I spent here were unforgettable, and I consider myself lucky every day to have worked alongside like-minded sports fans and walked the same halls as my broadcaster idols.

What better way to summarize my summer than in true TSN style with my own “Top 10” highlight reel? As hard as it was to narrow them down, here are my Top 10 most memorable moments from my summer internship at TSN.

10. FIFA Women’s World Cup Activation at Yorkdale Shopping Centre 

This was no ordinary Saturday at one of the busiest malls in the country. The TSN Marketing team organized an event to get Torontonians hyped for FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada action!  We took over Yorkdale with freestyle soccer players, live radio broadcasts, Twitter TV, soccer ball giveaways, and a viewing area for Canada’s first game of the tournament. This was my first experience in the world of sports marketing, and we set up the biggest event of the summer in style.

9. The TSN Fun Squad

This summer TSN launched a new employee social committee called the TSN Fun Squad. As a founding member, I helped plan special events designed to unite departments from across the company. The undisputed highlight was watching Canada’s men’s rugby team compete in the Pacific Nations Cup. The TSN Fun Squad crew packed a section at BMO Field to cheer Canada on!

8. My 21st birthday

Going to school in the U.S., turning 21 is a very big deal. I was ready to keep my birthday low-key at Canada’s Sports Leader, until I arrived on the big day to find my desk covered in balloons, banners, and streamers. A homemade cake was even delivered to my desk! Who needs a trip to America when you’ve got co-workers like that?

7. Marketing!

Along with having fun, a lot of work gets done at TSN! One of my tasks this summer was to create a series of programming alerts called “snipes.” These graphics appear at the bottom of the screen, alerting viewers to various live events happening on TSN’s five national feeds. Seeing my work appear live on the air was exciting!

6. Mike Babcock

Leaf fans will probably agree with me on this one, the highlight of the team’s off-season was signing Mike Babcock. When he visited the TSN Studio the next day, I got to meet the man himself. I even got a smile out of the guy!

5. Inside the CFL

The CFL is one of TSN’s biggest properties, and to kick off the new football season we announced a huge broadcast extension, and of course, had a season launch party to celebrate! I started off the night with a stroll down the green carpet with professional athletes, celebrities, and TSN executives. Still not sure how I snagged this invite, but I’m not complaining. Here I am with Kate Beirness.

4. The TSN Team

From sitting in on weekly meetings to witnessing the flurry of behind-the-scenes action at a live SportsCentre taping, a major highlight of my summer was learning the ropes of the sports media business from my awesome and talented colleagues at TSN. As the summer went on, I bonded with the team so much, my boss and I even started dressing the same!

 3. Coors Light Summer Games Commercial

This summer TSN took backyard sports to a whole new level with the first-ever Coors Light Summer Games. I was lucky enough to be selected to appear in one of the commercials, where I toss a Frisbee while belly flopping into a pool. After it aired, a co-worker printed out a “Hollywood Blvd” sign that hung above my desk for the rest of the summer.

2. The SportsCentre Photo

I always dreamed that one day I would sit behind this desk. This picture is proof that dreams do come true!

1. The Business of Hockey Cup

My #1 TSN moment happened just two weeks into my internship, when I was asked to suit up for the TSN Hockey team in the Business of Hockey Cup. Everyone said the new college hockey player intern would be the ringer who would bring us home the cup. No pressure…right?

After a full day of action, we were embroiled in a playoff game that came down to a shootout. With the game on the line, my bosses pointed to me and said, “You’re up, kid.” With my heart racing, I faked the shot, pulled the puck across my body, and (in true TSN style) went BarDown. What a feeling! I high-fived my way down the bench, and we won the tournament for the first time in TSN history. It was a winning start to an unforgettable summer.