With flourishing professional basketball and hockey leagues, women’s sports are on the rise. But more needs to be done to build the confidence of young girls around athletics, says author and Sportsnet anchor Evanka Osmak.
Her book published last year aims to do just that. Ali Hoops is about two Grade 5 students trying out for their school’s basketball team. “I wanted it to be a story that would encourage both girls and boys to participate in a team sport,” she recalls.
Ms. Osmak, Sc’02, has been identified with sports for more than a decade, but that was not her original path. She was born in Ridgewood, N.J., and grew up in Oakville, Ont., before studying civil engineering at Queen’s. She worked in the field for a couple of years, and then decided to make an abrupt switch to broadcasting.
While studying engineering, she already had an inkling that it might not be the career for her.
“Being in sports and on TV was really a dream that I hadn’t shared with anyone because I didn’t think it could happen,” she says.
She enrolled in a course at Toronto’s Seneca College and then joined a radio station in Orillia, Ont., as a reporter. During a television stint in Yuma, Ariz., she got her big break in 2006 when she was sent to Toronto to interview Toronto Blue Jays catcher Bengie Molina. While there, she introduced herself to Sportsnet anchor Jamie Campbell and the following year landed a job as an anchor with the network. She has worked there ever since.
Ms. Osmak is enthusiastic about her experiences at Queen’s.
“There was never a moment when I thought it was not the right place for me. While it was academically challenging, I got through it because I was very determined and stubborn, relying on a close group of students, teaching assistants, and professors for support.”
In Ali Hoops, Ali and her friend Leila practise together to prepare for the tryouts. Ali doesn’t make the squad, but she does find a role in supporting the players. “I didn’t want the main character to be the star of the team like so many other books,” Ms. Osmak emphasizes.
She got the idea for the story while on maternity leave – her sons are now four and seven. Her eldest loves the story. “He doesn’t even see it as a book about two girls. He thinks it’s about kids getting involved in sports and all the benefits that come from that.”
Why basketball?
“I loved the title Ali Hoops, so I just ran with it.”
Ali Hoops is available from Plumleaf Press.
