U SPORTS News

U SPORTS sits down with one key athlete, coach, and staff member of each U SPORTS athletic program in our interview series “Getting to know…”

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  • Name:  Larry Read
  • School: Thompson Rivers University
  • Position: Sports Information Officer
  • Seniority: 11 years
  • Previous job/position: Host/reporter/sportscaster CFJC TV/98.3 CIFM/B100 Radio
  • Hometown: Chilliwack, B.C. 

1. How did you get to your current position, and what do you enjoy most about our job?

I am actually the first Sports Information Director (SID) at Thompson Rivers. I always wanted to do communications / public relations with a sports organization. I knew the coaches from interviewing them as a reporter/host at CFJC and one of them, Pat Hennelly suggested I throw in a resume. The rest is history

2. Who has had the most influence on your career? 

My colleagues have. I thank them all but would like to especially thank Scott Stewart (Trinity Western), Matt Packwood (Brandon),  Ben Matchett (Calgary), Braden Konschuh (Regina), Ali Baggott (Victoria) and Wilson Wong (UBC) – who have been at this job longer than myself.

3. What is your greatest sporting moment or achievement?

Aside from hosting national championships (2010 CIS Men’s Volleyball and 2017 U SPORTS Men’s Soccer), I think working with the athletes and raising the profile of the Thompson Rivers WolfPack in the community. On a personal note, the ability to be one of the pioneers of U SPORTS webcasting: I take great pride in how we are one of those on the ‘cutting edge’ of technology and presentation.

4. How would you define a Thompson Rivers University student-athlete?

I think a student-athlete is a remarkable person. How they balance the tasks of practices and games, travelling and in our case participating in at least five community events is something special. I love the way they embrace the ‘celebrity’ status that student-athletes at TRU in Kamloops, B.C. receive.

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5. What does success look like for the Thompson Rivers University athletics program?

We were successful in our formation under Ken Olynyk. I see that only moving to the next level with current athletic director Curtis Atkinson at the helm.

6. What’s the biggest challenge you face in today’s sports world?

The biggest challenge is trying to achieve what is expected of an SID with limited manpower and resources 

7. Where would you like to see Canadian university sport in the next three to five years?

More acknowledgment of the great talent we have among our student-athletes and a buy-in by the corporate sector to support university Athletics and their programs

8. What would you say to a sports fan who’s never watched a U SPORTS game/tournament/competition? 

You are missing out! The calibre of the athletes is tremendous. You have the chance to see Canada’s future stars today. Look at Canada’s senior national men’s volleyball team. A great number of them were on display in Canada West over the years: Look at them now!

9. What do you enjoy doing when you’re away from work?

When I am not working (or thinking of future projects for the WolfPack), I like to travel. I enjoy movies (have a large collection) and I still do a lot of freelance broadcasting (host an amateur sports show on the local AM station and do a lot of ‘remote location’ announcing.

I am approaching my 40th year as a radio/TV broadcaster and have worked in major, medium and small markets including Vancouver, Calgary, and Edmonton, along with doing play-by-play and colour commentary of Western Hockey League radio and TV broadcasts.

I also love to volunteer and was appointed recently as media chair for the 2020 Canada 55+ Games coming to Kamloops.