College Sports Information Directors of America

Thirteen years ago in July 2006, Ed Haas was appointed the Director of Communications for the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA). The CWPA is the second largest collegiate athletic organization in the United States behind only the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). 

The CWPA, located in Bridgewater, Penn., is dedicated to promoting the sport of water polo for both varsity intercollegiate men’s and women’s teams and collegiate club teams for both genders. The CWPA is the largest water polo conference in the country with teams in 75% of the states nationwide.

In his current CWPA role, Haas assists in the management and oversight of over 350 collegiate water polo programs around 45 states. Haas is responsible for developing and implementing the communications outreach and content creation; coordinating the national varsity, club, Division III and CWPA polls; and assisting at CWPA championships and events.

Under Haas’ direction, the CWPA also awards annual SID of the Year honors, presented to those individuals who have achieved notable excellence in the field of water polo communications during the past academic year and a “Sports Information Office of the Year” award which goes to a member institution which sponsors both men’s and women’s water polo.

Prior to this position, Haas served in sports information on three Pennsylvania campuses – Franklin & Marshall (2000-2006), Alvernia College  (1999-2000) and East Stroudsburg University as a graduate assistant in 1998-99.

 

 
What are some of the biggest career lessons that you’ve learned through your time on campuses and now at the CWPA?
Take "time" to appreciate the people who are around you on a day-to-day basis. The athletics communications field is now a seven-day a week, 24-hour a day, 365-day a year job, so time is always at a premium. With the advent of social media, there is the constant demand for content - which can burn any individual (even the most robust of us) out. 

Appreciate what you do and who you do it for. Every day we deal with the future doctors, lawyers, parents, engineers, senators, congressmen/women, etc. of the world. The stories you tell, the people you influence now by publicizing the stories and highlighting the successes of athletes, have an impact down the road. It is like art - the athletes paint the picture of their collegiate experience - on the field and in the classroom. It is the job of the SID to frame that picture and present what they do - and what they achieve - in the best manner and through the best means possible.     

We are asking Recognition Week featured members to provide a professional development tip to share with our members.
When I started out in sports information (too many years ago!), I became the graduate assistant at East Stroudsburg University under CoSIDA Hall of Fame member Pete Nevins. He always made it a point to talk to graduate assistants, student workers, etc. - people who were on their way up in the business because they were the future of what sports information is now and what it will be in five, 10, 15 years down the road. Pete wanted to know what they knew and what they saw. 

I have tried to do the same in my time in this field - ask questions of your peers and the people who have achieved success in the sports information field. Examine what has been done in the past. Critique and examine your own work – and ask, could this be better, does this take too much time compared to the results that are achieved? No one knows everything in this business, but the knowledge of the collective group (and especially that of the younger members) is what keeps this evolving. There is a cliched phrase that the strength of the wolf is the pack and the strength of the pack is the wolf. We each have our own respective campuses, conferences and organizations that we are responsible for, yet the success of each individual raises the level of the group.

What have been the most memorable and/or rewarding moments of your career?
Earlier in my career, I had the opportunity to work at Franklin & Marshall College and got to cover Basketball Hall of Fame caliber coach Glenn Robinson. During my time there, he became the all-time wins leader in Division III history - which was a fun experience. In addition, I was able to cover the rise of the school's punter/placekicker (and part-time golfer) Dan Eggertsson and watch him go from an OK kicker to being a First Team All-America selection and an Academic All-America honoree. Seeing that progress and being able to cover his story was a unique event.

The most rewarding experience of the job and my career is doing what I can to help get athletes in a sport, water polo, which doesn't get much credit. If SIDs did this job for money or influence - there would be far fewer of us. The opportunity to help improve the experience of each athlete I encounter is why I get up in the morning, miss family events, things like that.

When I asked your what someone might be surprised to know about you, you elaborated on all your outside commitments to your community. It’s quite an extensive list of roles and duties!
Besides being an SID, I hold an elected position. I am also a township supervisor in the West Sadsbury Township in Pennsylvania, overseeing a budget of approximately 1.5 million dollars, which includes the roads crew and police department. I also am a member of the regional Fire District Board that oversees the funding for a Keystone Valley Fire District Fire & EMS company, and am a member of the township Planning Commission. I also volunteer with a high school alumni association for a school that I never went to - West Catholic High School in Philadelphia. 

Can you explain all the work you do for your township and how these responsibilities evolved? It’s a really interesting story.
The township supervisor job came about by moderately unique circumstances. I joined the Planning Commission for West Sadsbury Township (which reviews building plans, stormwater plans, subdivisions, etc.) around 2009 and served exclusively in that capacity until March of 2015. That’s when the Chairman of the Board of Supervisors (who was also my father, Frank Haas) passed away midway through his term. Prior to his death he asked me to take over his position on the board. Pennsylvania state law dictates that the rest of the three-member board needs to appoint someone to replace the vacated position. So I took the office three days later, was appointed Vice Chairman. I then had to run in a primary election two months later (while in the middle of the women's championship season for the Collegiate Water Polo Association) before running in the general election in November (during the men's championship season) to complete the remainder of my father's term. In November 2017 after completing his term, I was elected to my own six-year term (facing the same championship issues!) which runs until January 2024.

I serve on the Board of Supervisors while also continuing as Vice Chairman of the Planning Commission. As part of the Supervisors work, I also serve on the Keystone Valley Fire District board which is an intergovernmental unit between West Sadsbury Township, Highland Township and the Borough of Parkesburg, to oversee funding for the Keystone Valley Fire Company - a volunteer fire and EMS company. The fire district was established in November 2012 with the consolidation of the Atglen, Pomeroy and Parkesburg Fire Companies. The consolidation is the model the state of Pennsylvania uses regarding intergovernmental agreements and fire consolidations to preserve volunteer firefighting in Pennsylvania.    

When not covering water polo, the township and the fire company, I also assist each year with the West Catholic High School Burrs at the Beach event in North Wildwood, N.J. which raises money for West Catholic HS in Philadelphia - a Catholic school in West Philadelphia which services a predominantly urban population. Although I didn't go there, I help out as it was my father's alma mater and it is a good cause that helps good students who go on to do great things.   

 

You’ve seen, and been involved in, lots of changes in the athletic communications field over the years. You’ve managed many and multiple websites and launched new designs. How has constructing websites changed? What challenges exist, and are there things from previous experiences you used to help on later redesigns? 
This is one of the bigger challenges now. The amount of features - from social media integration to live stats, and being mobile friendly, responsive - is always a concern. Athletics websites are an arms race – it’s a question of who can provide the most, in the best manner possible. Gone are the days of creating a site in-house as integrating the different elements - social media, video, etc. - requires professionals who specializes in the field.

We’ll end this by asking you if you have any favorite mottos or quotes that you live by?
I am a little eclectic in quotes. Since we deal with sports, I try to stay away from the Field of Dreams lines, although it is a good movie…

“I’m a success today because I had a friend who believed in me and I didn’t have the heart to let him down.” - Abraham Lincoln

"A problem is a chance for you to do your best" - Duke Ellington

“Whatever you are, be a good one.” - Abraham Lincoln

"As long as the world is turning and spinning, we're gonna be dizzy and we're gonna make mistakes." - Mel Brooks

"Anybody can direct, but there are only eleven good writers." - Mel Brooks

"I intend to live forever, or die trying" - Groucho Marx