Sierra Costa knew she wanted a career in sports – it was one of the reasons she enrolled in Humber College’s Sports Management program.

However, landing a position as general manager (GM) of the Aurora Tigers before she had graduated from Humber was quite the shock. With the hire, Costa broke new ground as the first ever woman GM of the Canadian Junior Hockey League.

It’s quite an accomplishment. Costa understands she’s now a trailblazer and hopes her success helps inspire the next generation of girls and young women looking to break into what has been a male-dominated realm.

Before landing the job, she had some inspiration of her own. She cites Canadian women’s hockey star Hayley Wickenheiser as one of the people who motivated her to reach new heights.

Wickenheiser’s career on the ice is remarkable. She won multiple Olympic gold medals and world championships and is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame.

What she has done off the ice – Wickenheiser completed medical school at the University of Calgary after hanging up her skates and is currently an assistant general manager with the National Hockey League’s Toronto Maple Leafs – is just as impressive to Costa.

“All she has accomplished made me realize I wanted to be like Hayley Wickenheiser in some way,” said Costa.  

Team owner Jim Thomson first noticed Costa at an event while she was doing her placement with Paramount Sports Management. It jumped out to him right away how Costa was throwing herself into the job and getting work done.

“I like doers,” said Thomson. “As I got to know her better, I saw more and more of her strengths.”

That work ethic has served Costa well throughout her life. Regardless of the job, she says she always put in the same effort and that approach caught Thomson’s attention.  

Thomson said he was looking for someone for the role who could tackle the business and administrative side of the job. He felt she had the skills he was looking for and the fact she was a former hockey player with a solid knowledge of the game convinced him that Costa was “perfect for the role.”

“She’s been just dynamite,” said Thomson.  

He recognized her hiring was groundbreaking and, as a father of two daughters, hopes it helps other women looking to get into the management side of the sport.

When Costa received a phone call from Thomson that he had an opening for the GM position and he wanted to interview her, she was blown away. When the job offer came, she was speechless.

“This was my dream becoming a reality,” said Costa.

It’s been about two months since she landed the GM’s role and it’s been a whirlwind at times, but she’s savouring every minute of it.

“I love what I do, and I wouldn’t change it for anything,” she said.

The season is still a few months away and the goal is to win a championship.  Costa said what she really hopes to see is the development of her players as both athletes and individuals.

Could Costa see herself working in the NHL one day like Wickenheiser? That’s the goal.

“I look at the NHL as the penthouse and I definitely want to make my way up there,” said Costa.

But, right now, she’s focused on her job with the Tigers and the upcoming season.

“I’m super excited to see how we perform on the ice as a team.”