Sometimes, when one door closes, another one opens. That's the message students in the HBA2 "Sports and Entertainment Analytics" class heard from guest speaker Karl Toulouse, a basketball statistician for the Toronto Raptors.
Persevering through setbacks
Toulouse discovered his passion for basketball when he joined his elementary school team. He continued playing throughout high school, but unfortunately was cut from the team part way through his grade 11 year.
"As a young person who only dreamed about basketball, you can imagine how devastating that was," Toulouse told the HBA2 class. "That's when perseverance came in. I decided, right then and there, that I was not going to quit the sport I loved just because a coach wasn't willing to give me a chance."
And that's exactly what Toulouse did; he persevered. He attended a basketball camp in the United States, practiced playing, and learned as much as he could about the game. He went on to play college basketball, but encountered another setback after failing to make the varsity team at Seneca College.
Changing directions
Adamant to turn basketball into a professional career, Toulouse approached the head coach at Seneca, Ernie Armstrong, and asked if there were other opportunities for him to support the team.
"He [the coach] told me he had a manager, that he had several others helping in other roles, but asked if I had ever considered statistics," said Toulouse. "I told him I had dabbled in stats in my grade 11 school year, and I guess you could say the rest is history. He gave me a chance after my playing career had ended."
At the end of his second year at Seneca, he was recording statistics for both the men and women's teams, and occasionally received job offers from other universities for in-town exhibitions.
Becoming a NBA statistician
Toulouse's first NBA game in 1991 was a "stroke of luck". The Philadelphia 76ers were looking for someone to record stats for a game in Toronto, and fortunately, he was recommended for the job.
"When I got the call from the 76ers, I thought it was a prank," Toulouse recalled during his presentation to the HBA2 class.
But, he quickly realized the offer was real and felt incredibly grateful for the opportunity to take his career to the next level.
Toulouse was hired by the Toronto Raptors in 1995, and has spent the past 25 years recording stats for almost 900 home and away games.
Advice for HBA2 class: Look out for opportunities
While Toulouse's dream to become a professional basketball player didn't pan out the way he had hoped, basketball was too important for him to say goodbye. He knew he had to look for other ways to be involved.
"I started at the bottom and worked my way up," said Toulouse. "I did some stats in high school, became more involved in college at Seneca, and used networking as a positive tool to expand my network and reputation as a statistician."
The sports industry is competitive, but for students who are interested in a similar career path, Toulouse advises them to look for available internships and opportunities with the teams. College co-op programs, and the Toronto Raptors and Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment also have ongoing programs year-round.
"Will it work into a full time position? You just never know. But, I encourage everyone to chase that dream."
