Katelyn Power BComm’23 MBA’25, Julie Naugler BA’20 MBA’23 and MBA student Ben Broadbent are working with the Halifax Tides FC, Halifax’s professional women’s soccer team
Walking through the office of the Halifax Tides FC on any given day, you might be surprised at just how many familiar faces you see. Saint Mary’s graduates are everywhere, from the field to the office, helping to drive the growth of professional women's soccer and the sport business ecosystem in Atlantic Canada. What seems like a coincidence at first glance is much more than that: it’s a testament to the sport and business education programs connecting SMU grads to the growing world of professional sports.
Since launching in 2024 as a founding club of the Northern Super League, Halifax Tides FC has created new opportunities for athletes, business professionals and students looking to build careers in sport.
Julie Naugler BA’20 MBA’23, Katelyn Power BComm’23 MBA’25, and current MBA student Ben Broadbent tell us all about their journey from SMU to the Tides—and how their time on campus prepared them for the working world of sport.
Julie Naugler
Senior Sales Lead
When Julie Naugler decided to add a Certificate in Health, Wellness and Sport in Society (HWSS) onto her BA in Anthropology, she didn’t anticipate how useful it would be in her day-to-day life post-graduation. As a varsity athlete and flyhalf with the SMU Women’s Rugby team, Julie was drawn to the HWSS certificate because it piqued her interest, and as a student-athlete, that passion for sports was just as prevalent in the classroom as it was on the field.
“I think sport is a really unique industry. You can do marketing, but marketing in sport is different. The same goes for sales and partnership management. There are all kinds of sales roles, but applying those skills in the sport industry is unique. There aren't many courses that directly prepare you for that environment, so having the opportunity to study it while in school is a huge asset.” - Julie Naugler
“I got more directly involved in sport coursework in my undergrad days. The relevance to my future career wasn’t clear at the time, but I took a course on the football family of sports—so soccer, rugby, American football, all those sports, because it interested me and it was relevant to the HWSS program. Now, I use elements of that course more in my day-to-day than I ever would have thought.”
Getting even more involved with sports academic opportunities at SMU, Julie took a position as a Marketing and Promotions specialist with the Scott McCain & Leslie McLean Centre for Sport Business and Health in 2023—while completing her MBA at the Sobey School of Business—and started working in the professional sports industry right after graduation.
“When the sales opportunity at the Tides opened up, I immediately gave it a shot and was so glad I did. The opportunity to work within a women-led organization helping launch professional women's soccer in Atlantic Canada was incredibly exciting. I joined the club during the lead-up to our inaugural season in 2025, which gave me the opportunity to help build something completely new from the ground up.”
With her HWSS certificate and MBA, Julie’s creativity, sales and sport-specific knowledge has prepped her well for her role with the Tides—and the sports industry’s eagerness for this combination of skills helped spark SMU’s creation of the Bachelor of Commerce in Sports Business last year.
Katelyn Power
Stadium Operations Lead
Like Julie, Katelyn Power is “SMU through-and-through,” beginning her journey with a BComm in Management and a minor in Sociology while playing basketball with the SMU Huskies. “I’m jealous that the BComm in Sports Business started after I graduated,” she says, noting the opportunities available in the new program. A Sobey MBA Scholarship recipient, Katelyn’s interest in sport extended beyond her time on the court, and she made her athletics experience a key focus in her graduate work at the Sobey School of Business.
“I think that if you’re an athlete, using the skills you’ve learned during your time in athletics is so important. The leadership, teamwork, resilience, and ability to remain calm under pressure that you develop as an athlete are all highly transferable skills in the sports business world.” - Katelyn Power
“I did a presentation during my MBA on the parallels between business and sports. It’s striking how many there are. The skills that you use on the court are the same skills you use in communicating in the office. The time management, the dedication, the working towards a common goal – my experience as an athlete translated to the office almost exactly.”
During her six years with the Huskies basketball program, Katelyn was part of the three-time AUS championship-winning team, an experience she credits with preparing her for the fast-paced world of professional sport operations.
At the Tides, she “oversees match-day staffing, including ushers, ticket scanners, and event operations crews”, coordinating match-day operations, venue branding, sponsor activations and stadium readiness in the weeks leading up to a game. It’s not exactly slow between games, though, with time between matches dedicated to planning, evaluating, and continuously improving future experiences, a pattern she established with her team during her athletic career with SMU.
Ben Broadbent
Business Development Coordinator
“There aren't many undergraduate sport business programs in Canada. Having more sport-specific education options, especially on the East Coast, is a great opportunity for students to get their foot in the door, especially students from New Brunswick, PEI, Newfoundland and Nova Scotia.”
Ben Broadbent was a varsity athlete at his undergraduate institution, and after graduating with a BA Honours in French Studies and a minor in History, he knew he wanted to pursue a career in sport. He chose the MBA program at SMU to get him there.
The flexibility of the MBA builds on classroom learning to give students a real feel for the workforce, and for a sports business career, there’s nothing that compares to learning on the job. His business education, along with his arts background, gives him a practical toolkit for the sports business world, providing a curriculum that “has been a huge asset” for Ben as the mix of coursework and experiential learning has set him up for success with the Tides.
“This career path is incredibly dynamic. In the lead-up to a match, it's logistics, planning and negotiation. On game day, it's problem-solving, agile management and sometimes crisis management. You're as proactive as you can be and then the reaction starts.”
Having student work experience with a professional sports organization like Halifax Tides FC gives students like Ben a competitive edge once they hit the workforce full time, helping them stand out in the race for the next generation of sports professionals.
Sports Programs at SMU
For incoming students who are looking to launch a sports career right here from the Maritimes, Halifax is proving to be a hub for up-and-coming sports professionals of all sorts. With organizations like Halifax Tides FC helping establish and grow professional women's soccer in Atlantic Canada, and demand for a workforce capable of evolving that presence, the era of sport business success in the city is just beginning.
Behind every match day experience are dedicated professionals helping grow the game both on and off the pitch—and many of them got their start right here at Saint Mary's.