Tomorrow is my first day working at Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, the parent company of the Leafs and Raptors (among others). Yep. For real! I’m going to be working on the Leafs and Raptors apps, trying to make improvements to the fan experience outside of the arena.
This is an absolute dream come true for me: for as long as I can remember I’ve been a fan of the Leafs, and getting the chance to work within the organization to help bring fans together is still incomprehensible to me. More on the absolute bonkersness of it all later.
The Raptors are a more recent rooting interest, but I’ll never forget the way that 2019 championship united the community through sport. I’m still learning all the nooks and crannies of basketballs rule book, but it’s a really really fun game.
That community piece is one of the really exciting things about sports: there’s a unification, a commonality, a shared space we make with our neighbours where for a minute we all agree to be irrational and play a game. To be able to contribute to that feeling of community and inclusion in some common ground… what’s better than that, really?
How is this my life? How is this the summation of all the hard work, the late nights, the bad decisions and missed opportunities? I’m just so humbled by it and grateful for the chance to do work I find so engaging. Such a privilege… truly…
More to come on how it’s going and what I’m learning, but for now maybe just say a prayer for deep playoff runs? 🤞
