viaStaff Feature: Q&A with Katie

Loyal. Witty. Melodramatic. Meet Katie aka KJ, our friendly Sport Development Coordinator at viaSport. She supports the Coaching department with NCCP delivery, and manages the Coach of the Year Awards and Coach Mentorship Program. Most importantly, she encourages the office to participate in more trivia and eat more donuts. 

Finish this sentence: To me, sport is ______.

This is going to sound cheesy, but to me, sport is life. Sports have always played a huge role in my life. I play sports, and I obviously work in sport.

Also, I dare you to try and find a sport that I have not, or would not watch. Golf? Take me to Augusta. Curling? With Canadian pride. Hurling? One of the craziest sports I have ever seen. You need to watch it.

Which athlete(s) did you admire growing up?

Brendan Morrison was my favourite Canuck as a kid. He was small and fast on the ice, and I thought I was just like him! He replied to my tweet a few years ago and it’s still one of the greatest moments of my life.

What is your favourite way(s) to give back to sport? 

I’m a huge proponent of volunteering and I do this a lot in sport. My parents have always volunteered on various boards and at sporting events, so I have followed their lead. I’ve been involved in international events, like the Davis Cup and the FIFA Women’s World Cup, where I had a blast! You meet so many great people at these kinds of events. 

I also volunteer as a Technical Official (scorekeeping, timekeeping, game management) in field hockey because I love the sport and I enjoy being around it. Plus sitting pitch-side means I basically get the best view in the house. 

What’s your favourite sport movie? 

There are so many good sport movies – so many, that we often get into debates about this in the office. The Mighty Ducks is an obvious choice, but my favourite would have to be Remember the Titans. I think it’s a great movie with many quotable moments. (Trust me, I quote it all the time.) 

But there’s also an element of nostalgia for me. I watched this movie with my Lower Mainland AA Ringette team in Grade 8 and it eventually became something that we referenced throughout the season. 

Imagine a sport apocalypse where you have to play a sport to survive. Which sport would you choose?

I can’t say I’ve ever envisioned a sport apocalypse before… perhaps I need to get my priorities straight? 

I would have to choose ringette. My rationale? I’m faster on skates than in running shoes. Ringette would provide me with padding, as well as two sharp blades and a stick to defend myself. (I’m going to hope that this whole apocalypse thing doesn’t happen though.)

What 3 songs are included on the soundtrack to your life?

The hardest question you have asked! How do you only choose 3!?

1. My Shot – Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton Soundtrack)
2. Ain’t No Mountain High Enough – Marvin Gaye
3. Any 90s Disney song as a pick-me-up on a rainy Monday morning