Like many Canadian children, Eric Sorensen picked up the sport of basketball as an elementary school student. During the winter, you played hockey. In the summer, there was baseball.

Basketball, however, could be played anywhere at any time, with little or no equipment needed.

"We played on the outdoor court in the back of my elementary school," says Sorensen. "It became a part of where you learned to play the game."

A graduate of Ryerson's Radio and Television Arts program ('76), Sorensen has become one of the most well-respected broadcast journalists in the country. As Global News' Senior National Affairs Correspondent, he is responsible for covering some of Canada's biggest news stories of a variety of topics, from sports to politics to weather.

He has certainly grown into his senior role at one of the country's main media outlets, but, as he recalls, his experiences at Ryerson University were crucial to his development as a broadcaster.

"Ryerson really helped lay the foundation for my career," says Sorensen.

Though he has made a name for himself as a broadcast journalist, Sorensen points to a youthful passion that was fuelled at the school in the mid-70s.

Basketball.

He was small for his age but took to basketball at a competitive level in grade 11. Sorensen came to Ryerson in 1973, transferring from the University of Waterloo to join the school's Radio and Television Arts program. He found himself pursuing the opportunity to play varsity basketball in his first year at Ryerson.

"They were looking for talent in the student body because there wasn't a lot of recruiting happening back then," says Sorensen.

He would eventually take a part-time job as an overnight disc jockey at a station in Welland while continuing to juggle a heavy basketball schedule in Toronto.

There are many differences between Ryerson's current Athletics and Recreation department and the department back in 1973; one thing has stayed the same, though, and that is the day-to-day struggles of a student-athlete. Practices took place almost every weekday, says Sorensen, with games being played on Friday and Saturday. The athletes found their schedule nearly consumed by the sport, but the sense of camaraderie made it all worthwhile.

"It was just a great life experience," says Sorensen. "You come to Ryerson a little unsure of yourself. By getting together with the kids in your class and on the basketball floor, you're able to bond and build a sense of confidence that will benefit you for the rest of your life."

Sorensen and his teammates created a bright spot on a Ryerson basketball team that was underfunded and under-recognized by the general student population. The Rams would finish sixth (1973-74) and seventh (1974-75) in his first and second years on the team, winning a combined seven games across two seasons.

Though the team only earned two victories in 1975-76, Sorensen succeeded both on and off the court in his senior year at the school. He earned team MVP honours in his third and final season, beating out teammate and Ryerson Hall of Fame inductee Dave Fogolin for the award. When all was said and done, Sorensen totalled 275 points and 109 rebounds across his three-year career.

Ryerson University's 1975-76 men's basketball team. Eric Sorensen (21) was named MVP that season.

Sorensen graduated from RTA - then a three-year degree program - in 1976 and went on to launch his career at CHOW radio station in Welland.

As an institution, Ryerson has certainly evolved over the last forty years; then a polytechnic institute and now one of the most well-respected institutions in the country, the university now boasts an incredibly diverse student population and an international alumni base.

Forty-three years later, Sorensen still marks himself as a proud Ryerson alumnus and continues to emphasize how varsity basketball helped enrich his overall university experience.

"I think it's important for any student - back then or today - to get involved, whether it's sports or in other organizations," explains Sorensen. "Universities are wonderful places for creating a wide array of activities beyond your core studies to help make you a little more rounded and are a wonderful springboard for life after school.

All of us old-timers bask in the glory of what the Ryerson basketball program has become. For those of us that came before, you feel a real sense of pride to see the team do so well in the sport you used to play at Ryerson."