Liam Thomson: He’s In the Game

From the hallways of Northwestern Polytechnic to the sidelines of the CFL – and now the offices of Electronic Arts Vancouver - Liam Thomson is charting a unique path that combines creativity and a love for sports.

“I grew up there!” says Liam of NWP. His dad is retired Kinesiology instructor and coach Ron Thomson, so Liam spent many hours on campus watching Dad run practices. Liam wasn’t sure what was next after high school so he began with a year of Open Studies at NWP. 

“Basketball was my whole world at that point,” Liam recalls, but he had his sights set on a career that included creativity. NWP let him explore his options. 

“It was a great place for me to try different things,” he says, remembering how helpful it was to connect with an academic advisor to get started.

Liam took courses in design that first year, along with Introduction to Video Production with instructor David McGregor. “That was my introduction to the creative world,” says Liam. He built on that foundation by completing a diploma in Digital Media and Information Technology at NAIT, specializing in digital cinema.

After NAIT, Liam took a shot at a role with the newly rebranded Edmonton Elks, and found himself working as an assistant video coordinator. Liam was thrilled to find himself back in the world of athletics.

“I felt like, since I stopped playing sports, there was a hole in me,” he notes. Playing a part in a team filled that hole and put his new videography skills to use. “I’ll never forget that first game day,” says Liam. “As an introduction to pro sports, it was so cool.” The role allowed him to see the inner workings of the franchise, join the squad on chartered flights for games, and play an essential part in supporting the team. “I learned how important data is in sports – that’s a huge part of being a video coordinator,” he explains.

When Liam saw an opportunity for a full-time position as social media coordinator with the BC Lions, he jumped at it. The Elks position was seasonal, so Liam made the move to Vancouver and expanded his skill set into managing socials, digging into analytics and learning everything he could while assisting the team’s videographer. 

“Being multi-faceted is so important,” Liam reflects. “I always want to pick up something new.”

After three years with the Lions, he’s doing exactly that. Liam recently joined EA Sports as Associate Manager for Social and Content for the multinational video game company’s NHL and UFC titles. As the division of Electronic Arts that develops sports video games, EA Sports works with game developers, content creators and the athletes featured in their games.

“I loved every day that I worked in the CFL,” Liam notes, but he’s found a warm welcome at EA. He’s excited to work with a team of creatives and looking forward to putting his own stamp on the content. “It’s a much bigger organization,” he says of his new gig, describing it as collaborative and exciting. 

Liam looks back at his time at NWP fondly, recalling how accessible his instructors were and calling it a great introduction to post-secondary. The most helpful instructor, of course, was his dad. “He was always encouraging – both my parents are,” Liam says.

Today, Liam is balancing his new position while still doing some shooting with the Lions, keeping up with his hobby of street photography (“I always have a camera with me”) and getting outdoors with his partner who’s completing her medical residency. 

“My world revolves around sports. It always has,” Liam laughs. He’s building a promising career where sports and creativity converge, thanks in part to a solid start at NWP.