Updated 11.02.2016
In an effort to draw attention to the work of its members on campuses and in conference offices, CoSIDA is
sponsoring an inauguaral
CoSIDA Membership Recognition Week, taking place November 7-13. The purpose and goals of the weeklong acknowledgement is to hold a show of appreciation for athletic communication and sports information directors, to showcase their efforts and accomplishments, and to bring positive recognition to them and to their work in promoting student-athletes and their institutions/conferences. The idea for a membership recognition week was proposed initially by Will Roleson, CoSIDA Director of Internal Operations/Treasurer.
"If there's a more behind-the-scenes profession in collegiate athletics than athletic communications, I would be hard-pressed to name it," stated 2016-17 CoSIDA president Andy Seeley, assistant athletics director for communications at UCF. "SIDs spend so much time making sure everyone gets appropriate recognition they deserve, sometimes at the detriment of our own professional recognition. Everyone needs to feel appreciated and our members certainly are deserving of this recognition."
CoSIDA Membership Recognition Week Initiatives
We will be running special features and photos of CoSIDA members all week long on our
CoSIDA.com,
@CoSIDAnews and Instagram (cosidacosida) platforms. A series of letters in support of CoSIDA members have been mailed to ADs and conference commissioners, and there will be acknowledgment of athletic communications on national, regional and local cable sports TV broadcasts. Stay tuned at
CoSIDA.com and
@CoSIDAnews for more!
WE NEED PHOTO SUBMISSIONS: CoSIDA Members at Work
In order to prepare for CoSIDA Membership Recognition Week, we are asking SIDs to submit photos (high-resolution) of themselves "at work." This is not a call for the usual "SID at the laptop in the press box" images - show your creativity as you are on campus, with student-athletes, at a press conference, visiting with coaches, working with your student-athletes at a volunteer event
We'd love to collect photos to showcase during the week of Nov. 7-13. Please send yours to Barb Kowal, CoSIDA Director of External Affairs (barbkowal@cosida.com).
HOW THE RECOGNITION WILL WORK
Among the ways members will be recognized during the Nov. 7-13 period:
•
graphics, logos and promotional materials for schools and conferences: CoSIDA members will have access to the Recognition Week logos and some in-game announcements for use during the week of November 7-13; see the box, above, to download the images•
providing members with pre-written PA scripts, in-game radio and TV scripts announcing and promoting CoSIDA Recognition Week;
see the box, above, to download the info
• member features on CoSIDA.com and in CoSIDA Connect; these features, entitled "Our Stories", will begin the week leading up to Recognition Week. During Recognition Week, we will run multiple profiles of CoSIDA members daily
• we will announce - on Monday, Nov. 7 - a special fundraising campaign saluting our members, past and present
• a social media campaign around the hashtag
#thankyourSID
• working with national athletic administration and coaches associations to bring attention to the work of CoSIDA members
• in-game broadcast mentions
• a written thank-you card campaign - letters have been sent to Athletic Directors and Commissioners who have CoSIDA members, talking about the profession and Recognition Week activities
If you have any questions or thoughts on CoSIDA Membership Recognition Week, please contact Will Roleson, CoSIDA Director of Internal Operations/Treasurer, who is heading up the committee organizing the weeklong event. Roleson can be reached via
willroleson@cosida.com.
Members of the CoSIDA Recognition Week planning committee include CoSIDA board members, staff and members of the association: Sam Atkinson (Gallaudet University, Board member); Jeff Bernstein (NYU); Rob Knox (Towson University/CoSIDA 2nd vice president); Chevonne Mansfield (American Athletic Conference, former Board member); Chris Masters (Big Ten Conference, former Board member); along with CoSIDA staffers Doug Vance (Executive Director), Barb Kowal (Director of External Affairs), Laurie Bollig (Director of Membership Engagement) and Roleson.