Pros In the Arena

Passion, Drama, Pride, Perseverance, Community: Sports is the Universal Language. But what really goes on behind the scenes of competition? Who makes it all come together? Our Pro in this episode is Dr. Sina David, an Assistant Professor in biomechanics at the Vrije University of Amsterdam. Sina is a motivated researcher with a very diverse and interesting scope of sports science research (including in running, tennis, and even swimming) and a truly dedicated Professor.In this conversation, we go behind the scenes of sports science, hearing about Sina's implementation of Artificial Intelligence in human locomotion research, her highly collaborative minded approach to combining academia and sports science, and her focus on impacting students' lives as a professor.

Passion, Drama, Pride, Perseverance, Community: Sports is the Universal Language. But what really goes on behind the scenes of competition? Who makes it all come together? Our Pro in this episode is Jon Ferrara, a Costing Manager in Football footwear and accessories working at adidas. In this conversation, we go behind the scenes of footwear manufacturing, learning about the process involved in taking your favorite football boots from design and ideas to your local store shelf.We learn about Jon's role balancing financial and cost-related considerations in the manufacturing of some of the world's most iconic football gear, what it is like to work at the brand with the three stripes, and how his full focus on developing a career in sports has brought some unbelievable serendipity to his professional journey.

Passion, Drama, Pride, Perseverance, Community: Sports is the Universal Language. But what really goes on behind the scenes of competition? Who makes it all come together? Our Pro in this episode is Chiem Kock, a Football Replay Operator for Hawk-Eye Innovation, the world's leading service provider of video technology in sports. In this conversation, we discuss Chiem's very unique role as a Replay Operator, in charge of providing the key images in real-time to the VARs for effective refereeing, what it is like to work at the intersection of technological innovation in the highest levels of the beautiful game, and his deep passion for the most popular sport in the world.Just in time for the Euro 2024 and the Copa America, we gain insight into Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology, how the referees implement this technology, and the high-pressure nature of being involved in the key moments and controversial decisions of a football match.#Euro2024 #CopaAmerica

Passion, Drama, Pride, Perseverance, Community: Sports is the Universal Language. But what really goes on behind the scenes of competition? Who makes it all come together? Our Pro in this episode is Igor Komnik, a Research Associate at the German Sports University in Cologne. In this conversation, we go behind the scenes of sports science, learning about Igor's innovative (and challenging) research in boxing, what it is like to be a scientist in sports + academia, and his profound personal motivations for combining sports and science in his profession. 

Passion, Drama, Pride, Perseverance, Community: Sports is the Universal Language. But what really goes on behind the scenes of competition? Who makes it all come together? Our Pro in this episode is Dzuljeta Tamsone, Player Agent in women's football working at AS Sports Management. We go behind the scenes of women's football and dive into Dzuljeta's journey in becoming a very influential pioneer Player Agent for women footballers in the Baltics - among her career highlights: First ever Latvian player to sign for the Frauen Bundesliga, First ever Polish in La Liga, and first ever Lithuanian to sign for a top European club, AC Milan.In this conversation, we discuss the role of a Football Player Agent in detail, the challenges she has faced as a woman in the football industry, and her own deep passion and involvement in football.

Passion, Drama, Pride, Perseverance, Community: Sports is the Universal Language. But what really goes on behind the scenes of competition? Who makes it all come together? Our Pro in this episode is Phil Jevtovic, Senior Manager of Analytics and Strategy for Canada Basketball Men's High Performance Program. We go behind the scenes of the Basketball industry and dive into Phil's journey in Analytics for Team Canada Basketball - quantifying athlete performances and dealing with limitations of the data, his experience contributing to the performance of the team - in a FIBA world cup and several continental basketball tournaments, and the excitement competing in the Paris 2024 Olympics.Go Team Canada Go!