College Sports Information Directors of America

Related Content
• Give to the CoSIDA 60 for th 60th Campaign — Honor someone who made a difference in your career and support CoSIDA scholarships
 

---

 
This feature is one of the many profiles we are doing to showcase our diverse CoSIDA membership during 2017 CoSIDA Membership Recognition Week. To see all the feature stories, please click HERE.
 

---

Sahar Abdur-Rashid: NCAA
Assistant Director of Championships and Alliances, Media Services

By Monyae Williamson, Jacksonville University Director of Media Relations
CoSIDA Recognition Week Committee member

There’s an old saying that goes, “Never leave anything unsaid,” and when I was given the opportunity to write this feature, the adage became the perfect opportunity for me to do just that.

CoSIDA Membership Recognition Week honors athletic communications professionals that have made an impact in the field, and Sahar Abdur-Rashid is a rock star.

Sahar has a pretty extensive resume. With over 12 years of experience in college sports, she has seen stops at the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) as an intern, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) as intern and then assistant media relations director, and most recently the NCAA, where she serves as the Assistant Director of Championships and Alliances, Media Services. At the NCAA, she serves as primary media coordinator for the women’s volleyball and softball Women’s College World Series championships.

I had the honor of meeting Sahar a few months ago at the 2017 CoSIDA Convention, as her brainchild, the NCAA Inclusion CoSIDA Convention Grant, made way for myself and five other SIDs to receive free attendance to the event.

Our unique group, which seamlessly transitioned into banding together, featured different ethnic backgrounds, genders (Max Nguyen held the fort as the lone male of the group), NCAA divisions and experience.
 

The NCAA Inclusion CoSIDA Convention Grant became the first of its kind this year. It is an annual professional development opportunity geared toward countering the gap of inclusion, advancement and retention within the field of media relations/communications for women and ethnic minorities.
The grant provided attendance to the CoSIDA Convention, a visit to the NCAA national office in Indianapolis, and mentorship and leadership opportunities during the academic year.

After just two meetings with Sahar — the convention time followed by a trip to the NCAA national office — we saw Sahar’s passion help forge a path for us to be the best version of ourselves.

We were tasked with not only growing within this profession, but in championing diversity as well.

“This means so much to me,” said Sahar. “I take being a servant leader to heart. I want others, especially minorities, to learn and grow in our industry. Moving forward, I hope the grant allows for move diversity and inclusion in our athletic departments. Additionally, I hope the grant will continue to groom future leaders through mentorship and participation/involvement at the CoSIDA annual convention.”

 “It was not something I did alone,” said Sahar. “It was a partnership with our director David Worlock, the office of Inclusion, Leadership Development, and CoSIDA leadership. I simply brought the idea to the groups and asked for their assistance with moving it forward.”

 

Sahar has long been a champion for diversity and inclusion in this field.

She serves as one of several leaders of the NCAA People of Color Employee Resource Group, while also assisting as a staff liaison to the Minority Opportunity and Interest Committee (MOIC).

In the spirit of never leaving anything unsaid, Sahar, your first cohort thanks you! 

Here are thoughts from other recipients of the NCAA Inclusion CoSIDA Convention Grant and the impact that Abdur-Rasid has made in their young professional careers:

"Sahar's efforts to give back to her field and specifically target a diverse and inclusive group were above and beyond. The chance to sit down with extremely experienced professionals in my field at the NCAA office, hear their stories and career paths, and share my own experiences and future goals was an incredible opportunity. Knowing that there are colleagues in my field that care enough about what we do to provide opportunities that might not otherwise be possible is refreshing and makes me realize why I love this profession so much. I cannot thank Sahar, the NCAA and CoSIDA enough for the experience." 
– Nicole Watkins, University of Chicago Director of Athletic Communications
 
“Having the opportunity to not only attend the CoSIDA convention, and be paired with a mentor but to get to meet the NCAA staff and a number of peers was an invaluable experience. I am incredibly grateful for the time and dedication Sahar put into making that a reality. Because of her, the six of us have been able to not only create connections and expand our network but also improve as professionals in the field.”
– Kelly Thompson, Molloy College Director of Athletic Communications
 
“I had such a positive experience through earning this grant, whether it was having the opportunities to promote diversity within intercollegiate athletics, learning new skills at the convention and national office, or networking with others and making lifelong connections with fellow grant recipients. Because of Sahar and my overall experience, I am thrilled and excited to encourage my current and future graduate assistants to apply for this grant in the upcoming semesters to allow them to pursue the same great opportunity that I did.”
– Rachel Vogel, University of New Haven Assistant Director of Athletic Communications
 
"My experience at the 2017 CoSIDA Convention was life-changing. I was given the opportunity to learn from and engage with like-minded professionals from all over the country and coordinate a face-to-face job interview with my current employer, the American Athletic Conference. About a month and a half into my new position, I was given another tremendous experience to visit the NCAA national office in Indianapolis, Ind. It's been nothing less of a great learning experience and I'm so grateful for the opportunity. Without Sahar and her vision I wouldn't be where I am today."
– Alyssa Shannon, American Athletic Conference communications assistant
 
"Hats off to Sahar, David, and everyone else involved with making this inclusion grant a reality. The chance to visit the NCAA national office and attend the CoSIDA convention were two of the most worthwhile experiences in my young career. Gaining perspective from the “Fab 5” ladies I was lucky enough to be around was nearly enough to make the trip a success. It is rare, in the Midwest especially, to be able to interact with and learn from diverse females in this field.

"It was refreshing and eye-opening to be able to pick the brains of those at the NCAA office. The Inclusion grant was able to showcase one of the most diverse, well rounded, and intelligent workplace “families” I’ve been around and how they were all willing to lend their advice and help wherever needed.”
– Max Nguyen, Edgewood College athletic communications graduate assistant