LOVE OF THE GAME
David de Freitas ’94 turned his passion for athletics into a career he loves
For David de Freitas, there was never any question that he would attend HSC. The son of a teacher at the College, David was a “lifer,” starting his education in the Montessori program and continuing on until his graduation in what was then Grade 13.
It’s no surprise, given his current role as the Director of Player Relations for Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE), that David was, and is to this day, passionate about athletics.
Drawn to the world of sports from a young age, David took part in a number of teams while at HSC and had the opportunity to try a wide variety of sports.
However, at university, (he attended the University of Windsor and University of Michigan) he quickly realized that his dream to play sports was going to need to be rethought and that his connection to the world of athletics wasn’t going to happen the way he thought it would. When he tried out for and did not make the basketball team in university, he was struck by the realization that if he wanted to be around basketball, it wasn’t going to be playing and had to figure out another way to be involved.
“I think that moment, being cut from the team, is the key to what I do today,” says David. “When I was told that I wasn’t going to make the team I asked what else I could do to be involved. To the coach’s credit, he said I could manage the team and I jumped at the chance. I wouldn’t be where I am today if he hadn’t given me the opportunity to be involved.”
After graduating from university David obtained an internship at Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment in the ticket sales department. He used that as his gateway into the world of pro sports, and has since held four or five different titles within the organization, where he has been the Director of Player Relations for the past eight years.
If he could give one piece of advice to the students of today it would be to find something that you gravitate towards and that excites you, as that’s something you’re going to excel at naturally. Take the time to figure out what you like and find a way to make that a career.