When you ask people about their dream job when it’s pertaining to sports, most people want to be athletes, however, that’s not the case with Alyssa Tuner, the social media manager for both the NWHL and the new NWHL Toronto franchise. From a young age, Alyssa has always been in love with the game of hockey and is now working in the sport she loves. “If you’re not having fun doing something, why do it?,” said Turner.
The 22-year-old from Windsor began her journey covering all sporting events for Humber college as a student there. Her first taste of the professional social media job came as an intern with the Markham Thunder in the CWHL’s final season. In January of 2019, Alyssa was offered a job by the NWHL where she helped manage the Minnesota Whitecaps account. “When I was 16 or 17, I told myself I would work for a professional sports team one day. But now, I work for two technically and I think I’ve obtained my goal at such a young age, but the sky is the limit,” said Turner.
However, the women’s side of the game doesn’t get enough attention compared to the men’s game. “We don’t get taken seriously, we don’t get as many eyes, we don’t get as much traction as they [the NHL) do. Despite not having a major marketing budget yet, Alyssa talks about how social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook are great for getting people engaged. When looking at next season, Alyssa mentions that it’s going to be hard for people to ignore NWHL Toronto. “We’re the new kids on the block.” She mentions how the Twitter account is not only fun, but it’s also informative as well.
Last season, Alyssa spent all her time working out of her Toronto office, however, she’s excited to hit the road next season with the team. “I’ll be working from the arena and hopefully traveling with the team. That’ll be a lot of fun,” said Turner. However, her favourite part of everything she does is game-days. “I love live-tweeting, I love being able to find out what works and what doesn’t” she said. It comes as no surprise that the NWHL is opening up the door for women who are looking to be involved in the media and front office portion of hockey. “Absolutely, the opportunities they offer are endless, including a complete women based front office for the new NWHL Toronto franchise.”
There’s no question that Twitter banter exists and Turner welcomes it. “Twitter banter is fun,” said Turner. She mentions that she used it to her advantage when covering the Minnesota Whitecaps. “It’s all about having fun with and being respectful with it,” said Turner.
However, Turner has trouble unplugging because she loves keeping track of how all her posts are doing. “It’s my flaw. I’m obsessed with what I do, I love working and seeing how everything does analytically.” However, even with the COVID-19 pandemic, Alyssa still finds hockey as her escape.