This week, we had the privilege of speaking with writer, activist, public speaker, podcast host- (how does she do it all?) - Shireen Ahmed!

We spent some time discussing her experience as an academic (Chicago citations are the worst!) as well as how important representation within sport is. Listen in as Shireen and Prof Walz dive into their time writing a book together, how crucial the work that Hijabi Ballers is doing for Muslim women in sport is and how important it is to call attention to these often overlooked areas. This open, and in-depth conversation is a great listen and one you don't want to miss!

This past week, we had the privilege of speaking with On Air Sports Expert Scott MacArthur!

We spent some time diving into the recent news surrounding Kyle Beach and the toxicity found within hockey culture. Listen in as Scott and Prof Walz dive into what this means for hockey culture, some of their own personal experiences within the sport industry and how we move forward from here. This open, honest and raw conversation is a great way to kick off our new season!

This episode provided a dive deeper into the current, cutting edge work that Dan is producing and everything basketball both on and off the courts🏀🏆 Dan Gladman is an Award-winning Sports TV Producer. He was awarded the Canadian Screen Award for Best Live Sports Event for my work spearheading and producing Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals on TSN in Canada. This was the culmination of 10 years in the creative role as the Toronto Raptors game broadcast producer, and 18 years as a loyal employee of MLSE. In his career he has produced nearly 1,000 NBA and 100 MLS game broadcasts on TSN and Sportsnet.

SportTokz celebrated it's season finale and will be taking a break for the summer! Don't worry, we'll be back in session for the fall semester as we prepare for Season 4 to launch September 2021!

Disclaimer: This episode was recorded April 26, 2021

We were honoured to speak with Broadcast Journalist at Hockey Night in Canada Punjabi & OMNI Television Producer & Reporter, Amrit Gill on Monday April 19th!

We chatted about her journey to broadcasting and sports and how devoted to learning her craft  and passion for storytelling and journalism as a kid in the school yard. Amrit also shared her experience learning Punjabi much later in life and the types of challenges she faced not just learning a new language but also the different circumstances she faced and continues to face as a woman in media.

Amrit Gill is a digital content coordinator and host on "Hockey Night in Canada: Punjabi Edition." She became the first woman on HNIC: Punjabi Edition six years ago. Her work focuses on telling stories that include recognizing individuals whose trials and tribulations in hockey have been vastly underrepresented. Alongside working in sports journalism, Amrit also has a background in radio and television news. Her current role also includes producing national and local newscasts daily on OMNI Television.

Topic List

We are coming at you with another Office Hours feature this week hosted by Dan "The Coach" Berlin and TSN Sports Anchor Kayla Grey joins him in the virtual studio! Kayla is an award-winning journalist and currently an anchor for Sportscentre on Canadian sports network, TSN. Kayla became the first black woman to ever host a flagship sports-highlight show in Canada when she made her Sportscentre debut in 2018.

On this episode of Office Hours, Kayla delves deeply into her craft and shares her thoughts on staying true to herself. It’s Kayla like you’ve never seen or heard before! We also have an Office Hours first as our executive producer, Chelsea Vern, hosts a Rapid Fire Q'z segment to discover Kayla's interests and hobbies, not just in sports.

Dan "The Coach" Berlin is back with another Office Hours episode as we take a break for the much needed long weekend. We were excited to welcome TV Producer Dan Gladman to our virtual studio and the experience, achievements and awards he comes with is just outstanding.

Dan Gladman is a Canadian Screen Award-winning TV broadcast producer. Dan was in the production truck the day the Toronto Raptors won the 2019 NBA Finals and he's got the championship ring to prove it. His production experiences extend into many other sports including; NHL | MLS | CEBL | Pan Am Games | Olympic Sports. Dan is currently the Host and co-producer of Gym Ratz & Jointz podcast. Dan G. sits down with our Dan B. to discuss his secrets behind a successful live production.

On Monday March 29th, we were excited have Attorney, Agent & PR Specialist—Professional Sports & Sports Broadcasting, who represents both athletes and members of sport media, Emily Staker (@emily_staker), join us on SportTokz for our second LIVE stream on Twitch! 👏

Her work in the NFL agency paired with experience representing media talent and influencers has provided her with the skills to provide all necessary legal counsel and negotiation services, while also procuring advantageous sponsorship and endorsement opportunities on all forms of media, including social platforms! 💪

She also is a host on the Throwing Shades Podcast, focused on harnessing the honesty and vulnerability of GALvanize to discuss her experiences and events that impact the industry and themselves.

We took a dive into sports business from a legal/agency perspective and discussed the important role lawyers & agents play in the broadcast media and social media side of sports.

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Wow, has it been a year already?! March 23rd marked the 1year anniversary of when Prof Walz and Prof Joe created SportTokz with SportProfz as a way to connect with students and sports industry pros as the pandemic settled in. 

One year later... we were honoured to have 2x Olympic Gold Medalist, Motivational Speaker, Broadcaster, and Co-Host of Her Mark Podcast, Cheryl Pounder, join us Monday March 22nd! In this episode, we chat about her Olympic career and what it was like to be a face of growth in women's hockey. We also dive into her experiencing broadcast & podcast life, where she thinks the industry is in terms of equality and the work sports media & professional organizations need to do to continue a progression forward. We also tackle the NCAA Madness that unfolded last week and what these actions said about the state of women's sports.

Along with dominating on the ice, Cheryl Pounder dominates off the ice as well with her confidence, passion and experience on International stages as an inspiring Motivational Speaker! Cheryl is a hockey analyst for TSN. She was also the colour commentator for the coverage of the women’s hockey tournament at the 2014 and 2018 Winter Olympics for both TSN and CBC. Now alongside Kate Beirness, the 2 of them are making their mark on female empowerment with the launch of Her Mark Podcast.

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Oh Canada, we dive into the world of figure skating and the realities of the powerful sport. We were thrilled to have Canadian Coach & Choreographer, and Co-Host of #ThatFigureSkatingShow, Asher Hill join us this past Monday, March 15th, 2021. 

He was on Battle of the Blades (BOTB) mastering the art of BFF on ice and placed 2nd in the competition with hockey player partner, Jess Campbell. The Profz get to ask him a bunch of questions about his experience staking & coaching a professional hockey player in figure skates, the immediate chemistry & friendship with his partner and how BOTB helped repair his relationship with the sport. Now he is dominating the sports industry as a Canadian Coach & Choreographer, and Co-Host of #ThatFigureSkatingShow on CBC Sports YouTube! 

Asher sheds light on racism in figure skating and offers insight of what the sport can do to better encourage black youth to take figure skating or encourage diversity. We also discuss what it was like growing through his skating journey alongside his sister, Acacia Hill, and the work she is doing as a coach to build youth skaters from the roots up with her black owned skating school, Brampton Hill Skating Academy (https://bhsacademy.ca/) 

Asher Hill from Scarborough has been figure skating since he was three years old. He's competed in world championships and international events for Canada. He is the 2008 Canadian National Junior Champion and 2011 Nebelhorn Trophy Bronze Medalist. His love for his sport led him to a career as a licensed figure skating coach. As a skater and coach, he says he's constantly faced with racism and has always been painfully aware of the colour of his skin, which is why Asher is vocal to bring change to the world of sport.

Topic list

1. Battle of the Blades

Happy International Women's Day/Month!! On March 8th we celebrated IWD with CBC Digital Sport Producer, Sarah Jenkins, along with Freelance Writer and PlayxPlay Announcer, Victor Findlay. We took a deep dive into the sports industry through the eyes of recent graduates and compare/contrast the transition from an academic environment to their professional experiences. Both Sarah and Victor have achieved great heights in their careers already with so much room for growth and domination in sports! 🙌 As former Profz of these amazing students, we couldn't be more proud!

Sarah is a Digital Studio Producer at CBC Sports. Her work ranges from producer, leader, and creative specializing in digital content, video production and social media. Victor is the OHL Steelheads Broadcaster for Sauga960am - CBC Sports. His work ranges from writing, pxp commentary for radio, news breaking, and video editing. He was Sportsnet’s youngest play-by-play commentator in 2018! Both Sarah and Victor are Ryerson Grads!

See our topic list below:

Topic List

1. Hall of Student Fame - Experts in their field

2. Olympic Production

3. IWD: Women in Sports

4. “Gig Economy”

5. Rapid Fire Q’z - “GO!”