Lara Baldesarra
Encyclopedia
Lara Baldesarra is an Italian-Canadian sports broadcaster who was a part of the Fox Soccer Report
on the Fox Soccer Channel
.
On September 30, 2010, she announced her departure from the show.
, Ontario
, Canada
on April 2, 1985 to a very athletic family. Her parents both played soccer and basketball at the University level. Baldesarra started playing soccer when she was three years old and was very active as a child participating in many sports leagues and sports summer camps. She attended Appleby College
, a preparatory
private
boarding school
in Oakville, Ontario
and graduated in 2003. She then enrolled at the University of Toronto
and graduated with honors, earning a Specialist Degree in Urban and Economic Geography in 2008. Baldesarra is also an alumna of the University of Guadalajara
in Guadalajara
, Mexico
and the Institut de Touraine in Tours, France. She continued her studies with post-graduate studies of Broadcast Journalism
.
on Off The Record
with Michael Landsberg
and assisted with program development and research. She credits Landsberg as one of her favorite television personalities and mentors.
Baldesarra was the co-host on an AM sports radio show in Toronto before being hired by Rogers TV in Toronto for the show Game Day where she was the host and colour commentator for soccer, rugby and football matches. She was then assigned as the hockey rink-side reporter and interviewer for the CCHL / Ontario Hockey Association
. She also hosted the sports news and magazine show Sportszone.
In May 2009, Baldesarra was hired as the colour commentator and analyst for Rogers TV's coverage of the 2009 Canadian Soccer League
season. The final game was broadcast from BMO Field
in Toronto, Ontario. In December 2009, She accepted an offer from the Fox Soccer Report
to become a new anchor in the mix on the weekday, hour-long program. On September 30, 2010, she announced on-air that it was her last show for FSR.
On January 7, 2011, Baldesarra announce on Twitter
that she was joining Setanta Connected starting January 10.
Fox Soccer Report
Fox Soccer Report is Fox Soccer Channel's flagship studio program. The show is produced by Fox Sports World Canada, a Canadian international sports network owned by Shaw Media , from CKND-TV's studios in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The show, formerly called Fox Sports World Report and Global SportsLink,...
on the Fox Soccer Channel
Fox Soccer Channel
Fox Soccer is an American television specialty channel, owned by News Corporation's Fox Entertainment Group, that specializes in soccer. It formerly broadcast rugby and Australian rules football, but is now dedicated strictly to soccer...
.
On September 30, 2010, she announced her departure from the show.
Background
Baldesarra was born in TorontoToronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
on April 2, 1985 to a very athletic family. Her parents both played soccer and basketball at the University level. Baldesarra started playing soccer when she was three years old and was very active as a child participating in many sports leagues and sports summer camps. She attended Appleby College
Appleby College
Appleby College is an international independent school located in Oakville, Ontario, Canada, founded in 1911 by John Guest, a former Headmaster of the Preparatory School at Upper Canada College...
, a preparatory
University-preparatory school
A university-preparatory school or college-preparatory school is a secondary school, usually private, designed to prepare students for a college or university education...
private
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
in Oakville, Ontario
Oakville, Ontario
Oakville is a town in Halton Region, on Lake Ontario in Southern Ontario, Canada, and is part of the Greater Toronto Area. As of the 2006 census the population was 165,613.-History:In 1793, Dundas Street was surveyed for a military road...
and graduated in 2003. She then enrolled at the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
and graduated with honors, earning a Specialist Degree in Urban and Economic Geography in 2008. Baldesarra is also an alumna of the University of Guadalajara
University of Guadalajara
University of Guadalajara is a public university in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. It is the second oldest university in Mexico, the fifth oldest in North America and the fourteenth oldest in Latin America...
in Guadalajara
Guadalajara
Guadalajara may refer to:In Mexico:*Guadalajara, Jalisco, the capital of the state of Jalisco and second largest city in Mexico**Guadalajara Metropolitan Area*University of Guadalajara, a public university in Guadalajara, Jalisco...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and the Institut de Touraine in Tours, France. She continued her studies with post-graduate studies of Broadcast Journalism
Broadcast journalism
Broadcast journalism is the field of news and journals which are "broadcast", that is, published by electrical methods, instead of the older methods, such as printed newspapers and posters. Broadcast methods include radio , television , and, especially recently, the Internet generally...
.
Broadcasting
Baldesarra began her sports broadcasting career with TSNThe Sports Network
The Sports Network, commonly abbreviated as TSN, is a Canadian English language Category C specialty channel and is Canada's leading English language sports TV channel. TSN premiered in 1984, in the first group of Canadian specialty cable channels...
on Off The Record
Off The Record (TSN TV series)
Off the Record with Michael Landsberg, a.k.a. Off the Record or OTR, is a Canadian sports talk show on TSN hosted by Michael Landsberg...
with Michael Landsberg
Michael Landsberg
Michael Landsberg is a Canadian sports journalist. Landsberg started his national career in 1984 as an anchor on TSN's SportsDesk , broadcasting more than 5,000 episodes...
and assisted with program development and research. She credits Landsberg as one of her favorite television personalities and mentors.
Baldesarra was the co-host on an AM sports radio show in Toronto before being hired by Rogers TV in Toronto for the show Game Day where she was the host and colour commentator for soccer, rugby and football matches. She was then assigned as the hockey rink-side reporter and interviewer for the CCHL / Ontario Hockey Association
Ontario Hockey Association
The Ontario Hockey Association is the governing body for the majority of Junior and Senior level ice hockey teams in the Province of Ontario. The OHA is sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Federation along with the Northern Ontario Hockey Association. Other Ontario sanctioning bodies along with the...
. She also hosted the sports news and magazine show Sportszone.
In May 2009, Baldesarra was hired as the colour commentator and analyst for Rogers TV's coverage of the 2009 Canadian Soccer League
Canadian Soccer League
The Canadian Soccer League is the top soccer league in Canada and is controlled by the Canadian Soccer Association. It was formerly known as the Canadian Professional Soccer League , and was officially re-branded on May 17, 2006...
season. The final game was broadcast from BMO Field
BMO Field
BMO Field is a Canadian soccer stadium located in Exhibition Place in the city of Toronto. The open-air structure can seat up to 21,800 spectators, depending on seating configurations. It is owned by the City of Toronto, and managed by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd...
in Toronto, Ontario. In December 2009, She accepted an offer from the Fox Soccer Report
Fox Soccer Report
Fox Soccer Report is Fox Soccer Channel's flagship studio program. The show is produced by Fox Sports World Canada, a Canadian international sports network owned by Shaw Media , from CKND-TV's studios in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The show, formerly called Fox Sports World Report and Global SportsLink,...
to become a new anchor in the mix on the weekday, hour-long program. On September 30, 2010, she announced on-air that it was her last show for FSR.
On January 7, 2011, Baldesarra announce on Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
that she was joining Setanta Connected starting January 10.