Kickback is an organization that empowers underserved youth through arts and sports. Its arts branch, Kickback Portfolio, is designed to empower youth with a passion for photography who face barriers to entering the professional realm. The program provides youths with mentorship on everything from camera skills, to composition, to professional development and portfolio building. This year, Format has partnered with Kickback, providing a free year of portfolio services to all participants.
As the culmination of the 2024 cohort of Kickback Portfolio, the youth photographers documented the Canada Basketball Youth U15 & U17 tournament, held in Toronto on August 5-10, 2024. The partnership with Canada Basketball provides these young photographers their first professional opportunity as sports photographers, giving them a strong start to build their portfolios. Format sponsored a behind-the-scenes photoshoot of the Kickback Youth in action. Documentation was led by sports photographer and Kickback alumni Nicholas Williams. Format sat down with Kickback representatives to talk about the importance of youth mentorship, empowerment through representation and the positive communities that are fostered through art and sport.
Jamal Burger – Photographer and Kickback Founder
Can you introduce yourself and tell us about your background in sports photography?
My name is Jamal Burger, I am the founder and Executive Director at the Kickback Foundation. Currently I’m a director and photographer based in Toronto. Growing up, I dreamed of finding a way into the NBA. By 12 or 13, I knew I wasn’t going to make it as a player and began thinking of different ways to interact and become part of the organization. I went through university thinking that the only way into the NBA was as a sports doctor, but I hated it. So I dropped out after my third year of university and really just bet on myself.
I literally just started photographing with an iPhone–which is what we see a lot with the youth coming into the Kickback program–but I grew up in a situation where buying a camera was not even a thought. I actually got my first camera by sending a very lengthy email to the owner of Livestock. I just put my heart on the table and said, “Hey I know you just offered me a job to shoot monthly content for you, but I actually don’t own a camera…If you could buy me the camera with the lens, I’ll shoot and do everything for a year for free.” And he said yes. I was really hungry and so I found a way to make it happen. I credit him for really kick-starting my career.
I’ve now gotten to do things I couldn’t imagine then. I’ve shot for the NBA. I’ve photographed Kobe and Lebron. I’ve also done a lot of sport related content with Nike, Gatorade, Jordan, and different brands of that nature. I’ve been able to travel the world with photography. I photographed boxing in Cuba, I photographed baseball in Japan, I photographed soccer in Latin America. If you told me at 12 years old that by 22 I’d be traveling the world doing sports photography, and getting paid, I would have thought you were lying to me.
What inspired you to found Kickback?
I founded Kickback for kids like me. Growing up, I didn’t know that you could have a job in this world and enjoy it. That never crossed my mind. What I’ve learned over the years is that whether you come from a privileged background or an unprivileged background, every kid just wants to be successful as themselves. Schools aren’t doing the best job at setting kids up for alternative paths–I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for somebody helping me.
We all need a bit of confidence to achieve a dream. With Kickback we are using sports and photography as tools to connect with kids in the community. Through the program I can bring them into a space where I can offer them a diverse range of support; insight, opportunity, access to information, mentorship, guidance, and collaboration.
Why is sports photography an avenue for success for the youth engaged in the program?
I think sports photography is an avenue for success because a lot of kids will give up their sport of choice if they don’t see success on the field, on the court, or in the gym. It’s a shame because in giving up a sport they lose this thing that gave them community, skills, and structure. What I want people to recognize is that when you stop playing a sport, it doesn’t mean that you have to let go of it. I think everything happens in our lives for a reason and as we go through different stages of our life it’s inefficient and irresponsible to compartmentalize, to put that part of yourself on a shelf and let it go away.
Instead, I always try to consider how this thing I’m into, like sports, can show up in my next adventure. How do I use the skills and experiences I had and carry them forward? I truly believe that in every stage of our lives, there’s a purpose in what we’re working towards. There’s some version of that sport you played that can be embedded into that new thing you’re venturing into.
For the youth coming into Kickback Portfolio, it’s taking that energy they had and helping them realize that these new, exciting things they are doing–like photography, design, cinematography,whatever–that these can turn into a job and a path for them. They can bring their love of sports, that joy, and find success in something new.
Tell us about the collaboration between Canada Basketball and Kickback.
The collaboration with Canada Basketball and Kickback is so special because it’s bringing together all of these talented youth at this important point in their development. They have ended up being a very innovative partner for us–since they are all about highlighting talented youth they really see the value of what we’re doing.
Photographing for such a major organization is such a boost for our participants. We do the photoshoot at the end of the program and it is a chance for them to be responsible for a real, professional shoot. Nick, our alumni, is a great example. This year he’s not only supporting by documenting the behind the scenes, but he was also acting as a mentor, friend, and support to the kids from this year’s cohort. He also now shoots professionally for Canada Basketball. I’ve had reps from Canada Basketball tell me “Nick’s a part of the family”–and it’s just a full circle moment. Moments like that make the kid in me happy, and it warms my heart because I think Nick just turned 19 or 20. I didn’t get my first opportunity to shoot for anything professionally in the sports photography world until I was 22 or 23. I don’t even think these kids realize the leg up they are getting being introduced to this world so early.
Working with Canada Basketball has been a super positive experience. They’ve been very open and very caring towards involving us in different projects and opportunities that they have going on, engaging our participants and alumni. The intentions of both our organizations aligned from our first conversation. We’re all here to lift up the talents of hard working youth.
Nicholas Williams – Photographer and Kickback Alumni
Tell us a little about yourself. How did you get started with Kickback as an organization?
My name is Nicholas Williams and I’m a photographer based in Toronto. I mainly shoot Sports and Portrait photography. I met Jamal [founder of Kickback] when I was in the eighth grade. He knew me since I was a baby and basically he invited me out to an event. Ever since then I’ve just been coming to every single event trying to shoot or just trying to help out. That’s how I joined the team–I became one of the family.
I would say the thing I like most about being part of Kickback is giving back, which I also do through the sneakers. One of my other passions is sneakers–I started a sneaker cleaning business, Aristokicks, where we give back new sneakers or lightly used sneakers to kids. Getting to see the look on their face makes me feel so full inside.
What drew you to photography?
Photography for me is about capturing a candid moment in time. It’s so special that a photo can tell a bunch of different stories and it could bring back a lot of different memories and every memory could be different for every person.
Going through the mentorship last year, I learned a lot about professionalism: invoicing, email, giving the deliverables on time, and speaking to the client directly. Photography is actually a full-time profession of mine. The kickback mentorship program helped a lot. It has opened the doors for me–now I shoot for Canada, I shoot for the Raptors here and there, and for MLSE–so I would say the experience that I got through Kickback was very valuable for me.
Can you describe the role you played with Kickback at the Canada Basketball Nationals?
My role for that week was youth Ambassador to help the kids in the Kickback program. Basically if they had any problems with their cameras, I’d be there to help them; if they needed any direction, I’d be able to help them. Then I could also give them tips to streamline shooting the event that I learned when I was working the same event last year. For me, the next stage of my photography work would be to shoot for the NBA, or somewhere in professional sports.
Aliya Ahmed – Photographer, Current Kickback Participant
Tell us a little about yourself.
My name is Aliya Ahmed. I am a student and photographer from Toronto, Ontario. I was born and raised in Toronto, so this is my homeland. My background is actually Ethiopian. I got into photography six or seven years ago just as a hobby. I was just always taking pictures of the people around me, mostly my family, and I guess it just kind of blossomed from there. Photography is a really big part of my life today. I do a mixture of everything: Sports, Street, and Commercial.
How did you get started with Kickback?
I originally heard about it through people I know–the creative community is pretty small within Toronto. I was following their work, seeing what they were up to, and then specifically what they were working on with the Kickback program. I had a friend who was in the first cohort of the program and I always kept up with them. I saw them go through the program–I saw the growth and where it was able to take them. So when applications came around this time, I thought “Hey, I remembered so-and-so was in it. I think I should do it too.”
What is the community at Kickback like?
It’s amazing. It feels weird to say that I’ve only met these people a couple months ago–I’m so happy to call them all my friends. I think that’s really special anytime you get to meet new people who have common interests. It’s a really diverse group. You have people from all backgrounds and different perspectives on photography as well. It’s really cool when you bring artists together and through their art you’re really able to see them and recognize their unique style of telling a story. I have the utmost confidence in each and every one of us in this room that whatever we put our minds to we will be able to accomplish. I think that is the perfect way to sum up the group of people Kickback built into a community.
Can you describe the Canada Basketball Nationals and the role you played there?
Canada basketball hosted their boys U15 and U17 National Championships in Toronto. Each province was represented at the tournament, which lasted six days total. I was a part of a larger team of photographers from Kickback. There were about 11 of us in total who were responsible for photographing the event.
There’s something really special about not just being surrounded by talent, but being surrounded by so much young talent–the basketball players as well as all of these photographers. I’ve never seen that much talent in one room. I was lucky that I was at the tournament on the first day and the last day. It was nice to see the full circle moment. It was a great moment to watch all of the players line up at the end of the tournament and watch them joke and connect with each other. It was really nice to capture those behind the scenes moments. I remember looking at all of them and thinking “This is the next generation of basketball.”
What does it mean to you to be a young woman getting into the world of sports photography?
That’s a heavy question. I feel like I have the responsibility toward all [young women] around me. Sports in general is very male-dominated. And it’s the same when you look at sports media and even more specifically sports photography. I can’t speak for anyone else, but I don’t think, prior to this program, that I’d ever heard of or interacted with a female sports photographer–and I think that tells you something. It’s a difficult area to break into without adding any other barriers.
Having done this program, I see even more now how important it is to be a woman in a space and to break those barriers. I think there’s a greater emphasis on sports in general when it comes to women–we see all the work that’s being done with tennis or the WNBA or whatever. We’re starting to see a shift in focusing on female athletes. But it’s not just the athletes, right? It’s the fans. It’s the organizers. It’s the photographs. We need more women in all areas of the community. I don’t want to always go to a basketball game and see only boys taking photos because girls can take photos too—girls can take really really good photos. Even aside from being a young woman, I think that anytime you bring a new artist into a space they add their perspective–it’s always fresh and new and exciting and I’m really hoping to be a part of the change to come.
About Kickback:
Kickback is a non-profit organization that has been in existence since 2016. Founded by Jamal Burger, Kickback began with the belief that a new pair of shoes has the power to keep kids out of trouble. The organization facilitates experiences and opportunities in sports, art, and education by providing sneakers.
Kickback Portfolio is an arts program specifically designed to empower youth with a passion for photography who face barriers to entering the professional realm. The heart of the program lies in its comprehensive approach to portfolio development. Participants are meticulously guided through the entire process—from initial entry into the field and authentic documentation of subjects to the refining and finalizing of their work.
The culmination of this journey is the creation of a polished, professional website that showcases their refined skills and comprehensive portfolio. Central to the program’s curriculum is the mastery of storytelling through sports imagery, understanding the nuanced art of lighting, and cultivating the ability to connect deeply with subjects. This year, Format has partnered with Kickback to offer a year of free portfolio services to all Kickback participants.
Kickback is committed to creating a world of opportunity at the intersection of art and sport.
Ways to Get Involved, Support the Program, and See the Work of Alumni:
You can follow Kickback on Instagram and check out their website, where they regularly update the achievements of both past and current classes. This is a great way to stay connected with the incredible work their alumni are doing.
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