CFL internship leads to job prospects for Sport Management student

Football wasn’t originally in the game plan.

But Kae Allison’s growing passion for the sport has led to an opportunity most fans can only dream of.

The second-year Brock University Sport Management student recently spent two months learning about football operations with the Canadian Football League’s (CFL) Edmonton Elks as part of the Women in Football Program presented by KPMG.

With women historically underrepresented at the CFL, the program was created to open a pathway for women to contribute to the growth of Canadian football. Allison’s experiences with the program have confirmed her interest in the sport and validated the choices she has been making in her educational and career journey since first starting at Brock nearly three years ago.

Although she initially considered focusing on kinesiology or physical therapy, Allison fell in love with the Sport Management program during her first week of studies.

“I knew right away that this is what I am meant to do,” she says. “This is the program I should be in, and these are the people I need to be around.”

That included Assistant Professor of Sport Management Ryan Clutterbuck, who teaches and conducts research in sport leadership and has been working to grow women’s football in Ontario since 2016. Clutterbuck recognized Allison’s potential and suggested she apply for an executive role with Brock’s new women’s flag football team.

She didn’t know much about football at the time, but she had developed an interest in player relations and thought that taking on the role would give her the experience she might need to pursue related opportunities down the road.

Within a short time, she learned the game and developed valuable leadership experience. She fell in love with football culture and the prospect of working in the industry, so, when Clutterbuck told her about the Women in Football program, she was keen to apply.

Allison has been working with the Elks since early May, focusing on football operations and “doing a bit of everything,” she says.

Her experience has involved long days and a variety of tasks — from doing players’ expenses and reviewing contracts to planning rosters and operating the stop clock on the field at team practices.

“It really surprised me how much hands-on experience I’ve been getting,” she says. “I thought I’d be in a little office somewhere, but no, I’m right there with the players and coaches.”

Allison often followed the schedule of the players, waking up bright and early to make a 6 a.m. bus ride and returning home in the late hours of the evening.

“Some of these players are so excited to go in the morning that it’s infectious,” she says. “It’s definitely the most tiring, but most rewarding thing I’ve ever done.”

As part of the internship program, Allison is paired with a mentor from KPMG and has participated in several team meetings, including with the CFL Commissioner. The CFL pays her a weekly stipend and covers all her transportation, accommodation and meal expenses.

The immersive experience has provided her with deeper knowledge about concepts she learned in lecture and has given her a window into what her career could look like.

“In football operations, there’s a lot of moving pieces,” says Shahbaz Dhillon, Football Operations Manager for the Edmonton Elks. “A lot of things just happen in the moment, and it’s important to be a great problem solver. Kae has been fantastic at that. Once she’s ready for a permanent role, I told her she can call me and I’ll find her a job.”

Allison is returning to Brock this September for her third year of the Sport Management program and to continue her involvement with Brock’s women’s flag football team as its newly elected president. After graduation, she hopes to pursue an executive manager role with a CFL or National Football League team.

“If you told me two years ago that I would be working in football, I would have never believed you,” she says. “I’ve created this path for myself in football and I really want to stay here.”