How EventBrite Can Help Your Career in Sports: Emmy Curtis's Sports Journey

Courtesy of Emmy Raine Curtis

In my experience, one of the most impactful things you can do at a personal level in your career is have a mentor. For me, that’s Emmy Raine Curtis, an up and coming professional who undoubtedly needs no introduction to anyone in the sports industry. This Abbotsford, British Columbia native had a passion for sports early on in her life. From the west coast to the six, Emmy has travelled not only across Canada, but the world, to chase her dreams.

Growing up, Emmy was always involved in the sports world. Her family was heavily involved with sports, fostering a passion for sports in Emmy from a young age. She notes memories of her father encouraging her to always be involved in sports, even playing basketball for many years. Surprisingly, Emmy was also a ‘theatre kid’ throughout her adolescence. Combining her passion for sports and theatre led Emmy to her current goal of becoming a sports reporter.

Courtesy of Emmy Raine Curtis

Starting as early as her first few years at the University of Toronto, Emmy’s first experience working in sports was at the University of Toronto where she was involved in their work-study programs. As her first official job in Toronto, Emmy began running the social media for her university's sports teams. Though impressive, running U of T’s social team was just the beginning of her professional sports career.

Despite being enrolled in one of the most prestigious schools in Canada, Emmy didn’t let the rigorous study load stop her from propelling her career forward. Even within her University, Emmy always was able to create opportunities from running the Varsity Blues social media to being involved in the University of Toronto Sports and Business Association (UTSB). Her roles at UTSB have been expansive and she has worked many roles within the association. Starting as a journalist in UTSB, her days were spent creating content for the association and building her professional work. Interestingly, during the lead up to the Toronto Sports Industry Conference, Emmy took on the role of lead journalist and was the manager of monthly publication of newsletters as well as being a media team intern.

Courtesy of Emmy Raine Curtis

From there, her role evolved within the UTSB to the director of media relations in her second year. Her involvement in the UTSB as the director of media relations gave her a thorough understanding of the media landscape within Toronto and helped her build her social media and communication skills. Now, Emmy has been elected as the president and will be working with the UTSB this upcoming year.

Though U of T has provided Emmy with many substantial professional experiences, her experience extends outside of U of T grounds. This year alone, Emmy has begun working with HOOPQUEENS as part of the social media and content team. She also worked with IIHF (International Ice Hockey Federation) this past year in two positions. Firstly sitting on the events and promo committee, then working the Women's World Championship as the floor director. Currently, Emmy works multiple positions, one notably being her job with TSN.

Living out one of her professional dreams, Emmy has worked with TSN since April of 2022 as an intern until she became a story editor in September of 2022. On the daily, Emmy will begin her commute early in the morning, utilizing her hour and half commute to prepare content and complete tasks for her other position. Once she arrives at the Sportscenter, a typical day begins with an email detailing what games she’ll be covering. From there, she begins clipping games, preparing packages and writing scripts for anchors.

Courtesy of Emmy Raine Curtis

Despite an unbelievably successful career, Emmy has still faced challenges. Something that surprised Emmy was the competitiveness of the industry. Luckily, she found that, despite that competitive nature, everyone within the sports industry has been super welcoming. Whether that is sharing opportunities, meeting for career chats or simply helping you on game day, the sports industry creates a closeness that's special to this industry that supports its own.

Courtesy of Emmy Raine Curtis

In her coming years, no one doubts the tremendous success that Emmy will experience; however, she isn't shy to make sure she can help anyone else looking to break into the industry. Emmy’s extensive professional and academic experience all before she has even graduated makes her the perfect person to get advice from.

Emmy’s Tips

• Utilize Google Calendar

  • Whether you're organizing your next big game day or your Saturday night dinner plans, Google Calendar should be involved. From creating multiple calendars to being able to share invites with people, Google Calendar is the ultimate way to stay organized.

• Be yourself

  • When it comes to branding yourself, it is crucial to stay true to yourself. “What makes you different from others is that you are you, there is no duplicate of you out there. By staying true to yourself, that is your authentic brand.”

• Know your priorities

  • We’ve all been guilty of piling way too much on our plate and letting our professional life take over, forgetting to save time for all the important things in your life. You cannot say yes to everything in life, so knowing your priorities will allow you to preserve your time for what matters most to you.

• Reach out to people

  • Whether you’d like to chat with people to learn more about the industry, you have to interview someone for an article or you want to see how you can get involved within an event or organization, if you don’t ask it will always be a no.

• Utilize EventBrite

  • It can be difficult knowing about what is going on in your area and staying involved within the sports community. By utilizing the platform EventBrite, you’ll know what is going on in your area and that will help you stay involved.

Courtesy of Emmy Raine Curtis

As Emmy continues to progress in her career, it is evident that she will achieve remarkable success. Her journey serves as an inspiration for aspiring professionals in the sports industry, reminding us of the importance of mentorship, seizing opportunities and staying true to oneself. By following Emmy's advice and embodying her passion and dedication, individuals can navigate their own paths to success in this dynamic and competitive field. You can follow Emmy’s journey through her…

Instagram: @emraine

TikTok: @itsemraine

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5BLTFc-RhAtdPKoJzXfzoA

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmycurtis/