Meghan Agosta announces retirement from Canada’s National Women’s Team

If you’re a working media member that has coated Canada’s National Women’s
Team over the past 4 years, you understand the identify Esther Madziya.

But should you’re not and also you don’t, you must.

A Hockey Canada communications supervisor, Madziya was a part of the employees with
the Olympic gold medal-winning group at Beijing 2022, sandwiched round a
pair of IIHF Women’s World Championship gold medals, spending weeks and
months on finish in bubbles and quarantines in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, away
from household and associates, with that singular golden objective in thoughts.

Outside of her Team Canada work, Madziya is an integral a part of the Hockey
Canada household, and was acknowledged for her contributions with the Hal Lewis
Award because the group’s employees particular person of the yr for the 2018-19
season.

To have a good time National Women and Girls in Sports Day and Black History
Month, HockeyCanada.ca sat down with Madziya to speak about her journey and
how the trade has advanced for minority ladies.

HC: How did you get your begin in sports activities media?

EM: I went to SAIT [the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology in
Calgary] and took the printed journalism program. The program has advanced
since then, but it surely was referred to as CTSR – Cinema, Stage, Television and Radio.
And then you would focus on no matter you wished to do.

I wasn’t certain what I wished to do at college. Way again when, I wished to get
into accounting, which isn’t my jam in any respect, however I at all times preferred sports activities. And
I assumed, ‘You know what, maybe I want to get into sports.’ So I took the
broadcast program at SAIT, with the hope of moving into sports activities broadcasting
and in the future perhaps being on TSN.

I ended up getting a job in radio. I did a practicum in Lethbridge, which
is my hometown, on the radio station. The station additionally had the printed
rights to Lethbridge Hurricanes video games, so I used to be overlaying the intermission
stories and updating scores and stats, and it simply advanced from there.

HC: What was the panorama like in sports activities media for girls while you
got here out of college?

EM: At that the time, there weren’t a whole lot of ladies in sports activities. There was
additionally not a whole lot of variety, in broadcasting and in sports activities particularly.

Growing up, my dad and mom at all times mentioned, ‘No matter what occurs, you’re going
to must work more durable than the following particular person. You’re going to must show
your self on a regular basis, as a result of you’re a lady and since you’re a
minority. Nothing’s going to return straightforward for you.’

So that was simply one thing that at all times caught with me. And I keep in mind some
of my colleagues at SAIT, as we bought nearer to commencement, saying that it
could be simpler for me to get a job as a result of I used to be a girl and a minority,
which I didn’t essentially agree with. But if being a girl and being a
minority was going to get my foot within the door, then you understand what, I’ll
settle for it. But on the identical time, if I can not do my job, it isn’t going to
preserve the door open very lengthy.

It was simply the fact of, you are going to must work twice as onerous as
the following particular person if you wish to have any alternatives. That was simply
one thing that at all times caught with me.

HC: You’re arising on 9 years with Hockey Canada later this
week; what was the profession path to get right here?

EM: I labored on the radio station in Lethbridge for 4 years, working the
morning present and doing intermission stories with the Hurricanes. I moved
into tv at Global Lethbridge for a number of years, and in 2002 was fortunate
sufficient to get a place as a sports activities reporter at Global Saskatoon. I
centered on a whole lot of college sports activities, did males’s and ladies’s hockey,
reporting on these. That was my beat. Canadian Junior Football, I coated
the Saskatoon Hilltops. I coated volleyball, curling – discovered loads about
curling – coated a whole lot of SJHL hockey, minor hockey, all that type of
stuff.

In 2010 there have been cutbacks, and the trade as an entire was altering, so I
determined to go house to Lethbridge. I went again to the radio station, began
doing the morning present once more, which I by no means thought I’d do, and was concerned
with Hurricanes video games on each TV and radio.

A yr later, the Hurricanes’ communications supervisor took one other job in
the Western Hockey League, and the group supplied me the place. I used to be with
the group for 4 years earlier than the Hockey Canada place got here open, and I
began in February 2015.

HC: You’ve had the chance to work with superb athletes, journey
to superb locations, have a front-row seat to Canadian hockey historical past.
What is that like?

EM: Honestly, it is onerous to explain, as a result of except you are in it, you possibly can’t
even actually describe it. But by no means in my wildest desires would have imagined
that I’d have the alternatives which have come my manner. I by no means would have
imagined that I’d have gone to a number of the locations that I’ve gone, had
the chance to work with a number of the athletes that I’ve labored with,
had the chance to cowl occasions, whether or not it’s from the occasion facet or
being embedded with a group.

I feel the opposite piece that makes it particular is what it means to my
household. My household is extremely happy with simply seeing that this child who,
when she was youthful, most likely did not at all times have the best give attention to her
research, is doing what she’s doing now.

There are instances after I’ve hosted a press convention, and my household tells
their associates, ‘That’s our kid. That’s my sister. That’s my daughter.’
They’re so happy with that, and which means the world to me, however I additionally know
that I’ve at all times tried to be actually respectful and attempt to work onerous, and do
proper by the Madziya identify. It means loads to them, simply as a lot because it means
to me.

HC: You’ve talked about your loved ones a number of instances, and the affect
they’ve had on you. How necessary has that assist system been as
you’ve progressed by means of your profession?

EM: No matter what I wished to do with my life, they’ve at all times simply been in
my nook. And I feel for any child to have their dad and mom say, ‘We’re so
happy with you, it doesn’t matter what you do. We see the work that you simply do,’ it is a
cool factor.

Our final identify is Madziya. We’re the one Madziya household right here in Canada, and
they’re actually happy with that. Their assist simply means loads, as a result of
they’ve at all times been there. My mother at all times says, ‘Look on the alternatives
that you’ve got been given, take a look at the roles that you’ve got had, and admire
that. And though there may be some onerous instances alongside the way in which, these
onerous instances strengthen you and so they’re the rationale that you simply preserve having the
alternatives that come your manner.’

HC: To be one of many faces of Team Canada with nationwide and
worldwide media… does that carry a bit of extra weight, imply a
little extra, since you’re a minority lady?

EM: Absolutely, as a result of there nonetheless is a bit of little bit of, ‘Do I actually belong
right here?’ In the again of my thoughts, there’s nonetheless that little little bit of… watch how
you stroll, watch the way you carry your self, watch the way you’re coping with
anyone, watch the way you’re coping with different media, as a result of should you offend
anyone, it’s fairly straightforward to say, ‘Well, it was her.’

In the again of my thoughts, I’m at all times nonetheless fascinated by working twice as
onerous. I simply do not need to make any missteps, as a result of I really feel like anyone
is simply ready for me to make a mistake to say, ‘See, that particular person cannot do
it. She’s not certified. She was only a token rent.’

Those issues nonetheless play at the back of my thoughts. I do not assume these issues
will ever not play at the back of my thoughts.

HC: Women’s hockey has grown by leaps and bounds lately,
and also you’ve been capable of see it up shut. What has that been prefer to
watch the sport evolve?

EM: It’s fairly cool to see, as a result of there’s a whole lot of onerous work that is gone
into rising the sport, and also you see how passionate the athletes are, however you
additionally see how passionate the employees is. So seeing the place it is at and seeing so
many individuals work so onerous, that brings me a whole lot of pleasure, as a result of that they had
their desires once they had been a bit of woman. And to see the place issues are at
and to see the issues that they have been capable of do and attain, however to
additionally get a entrance row seat to it, is fairly cool.

And I feel one of many neatest issues for me is that as a result of I’ve been right here
9 years and have labored up and down the National Women’s Program, and at
nationwide occasions just like the National Women’s Under-18 Championship, I’ve been
capable of see gamers from 16, 17, 18 years previous by means of to the nationwide group,
and see the distinction they’re making now. It’s fairly cool to see that
development – as hockey gamers and as ladies.

HC: Throughout your profession within the media trade, how have you ever seen
the doorways open for girls, and for minorities?

EM: It’s like evening and day. The trade has modified for the higher. There
are extra alternatives, extra doorways opening up immediately. I feel a whole lot of
organizations have checked out their product and requested, ‘Is our TV program,
is our news program, is our sports activities program indicative of what the remainder of
Canada seems to be like?’ Because it has to, in any other case you are not going to
join with folks and you are going to lose them.

There are so many various avenues immediately. There are podcasts and
influencers and so many different issues that individuals are doing on their very own.
You’re seeing much more ladies in several roles. And we’re seeing loads
extra of that as a result of it is about hiring the perfect person who’s on the market.

HC: What recommendation do you’ve got for girls, or minorities, that need to
get into sports activities however perhaps do not feel like they’ve a path?

EM: If that is what you need to do, pursue it. Don’t let anyone cease you.
Somebody might say no, a door might shut, but it surely’s not no perpetually, and there is
going to be one other alternative. Obviously if anyone says no, it cuts
deep, but it surely simply means not proper now. Know that you simply belong there simply as
a lot as the following particular person. At the top of the day, everyone places their pants
on the identical manner.

So, pursue what you need to do. Don’t take no for a solution, do your
analysis, be assured and go in figuring out that you understand that you are able to do the
job. Treat folks with respect, and you may hopefully get that respect again.
Nobody ought to ever let you know that you do not belong.