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CoSIDA.com/CoSIDA360 Magazine Archive
Note: This story appeared in the Fall 2019 February edition of CoSIDA 360 Magazine. To view the full magazine, click here.
Cover Story
CoSIDA in 2020...and Beyond
Members in their 20s offer perceptions of the job heading into the new decade and visions of what it would have to look like for them to stick around for the next 20 years.
by Laurie Bollig – CoSIDA Director of Membership Engagement
It’s February 2020. By now you’ve seen several thousand top-20 lists and a few hundred puns about perfect vision in the new decade.
Not to be left out or outdone, CoSIDA asked members ages 20 to 29 to reflect on their experiences so far in athletics communications and to share some thoughts about doing what they do.
This group of young professionals has a lot to say. Almost 60 members elected to answer the prompts and questions. Their responses were honest and authentic. They reflect the newest generation of CoSIDA members and give good insight into the best and worst of a career in athletics communications.
Question 1
What are the best experiences you’ve had in the profession so far?
Top responses
- Conference, regional and national championships
- Watching student-athletes accomplish big things
- Traveling with teams to new places
Hands down, the number one response to this prompt was working, hosting or attending conference, regional and national championship events.
Rob DeVita, St. Francis College: “At 24 years old, I was the media relations point person for one of the NCAA’s most significant events of the year (Division I women’s basketball regional), a role that I was not sure I was ready for but knew I would give it my all to succeed. This is an accomplishment that I am most proud of because, after many months of preparation, the event went off as smooth as can be, and I received many compliments from media members, administrators from participating schools, and colleagues. This experience prepared me for the next phase in my career, and I learned a great deal about what it takes to run an NCAA Regional, something I would love to do again in the future.”
Alex Crook, University of the Pacific: “… I was also fortunate to be on site at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas working two #WCChoops conference championships doing what I’d essentially consider a hobby: tweeting about sports, college basketball in particular.”
Alex Crook
Rachel Moore, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi: “What has struck me most about this profession is the responsibility that SIDs have in making sure that our student-athletes are promoted at the highest possible level. While these individuals make my job easier with their performance on the field or mat, I admire their dedication in the classroom and giving me the opportunity to showcase them to the rest of CoSIDA. I can say that I have covered national champions and players of the year, but also some of the best examples of student-athletes you will see in the country.”
R.J. Leisie, Saint Vincent: “…making trips to Florida for baseball and softball over spring break. It has allowed me to make a connection with the coaching staffs and the student-athletes. Also, it’s nice to get out of the snowy/cold weather in Western Pennsylvania.”
Also mentioned:
- Attending the CoSIDA Convention
- Transitioning from an NAIA school to an NCAA Division II school
- Friendships gained
Joshua Booth, Bethel (Kansas): “Going to the conventions has been a blessing in disguise, particularly after I completed my first year. I still have about 10 pages of notes from my first convention at Orlando in 2017, and, being able to be inspired by other SIDs to bring ideas back to my campus was absolutely what I needed.”
Josh Booth
Question 2
What’s the best advice you’ve received so far in your career.
Top responses:
- You will not be perfect at this job; you will make mistakes
- Be a good host and do the things that make your guests welcome
- Enjoy the moments
- Breathe – take a step back and look at the big picture
Nobody’s perfect — how many times do we remind ourselves of that? A typo pops up in game notes. We mis-identify a student-athlete. Our stats are wrong. It’s advice that never gets old and it’s definitely wisdom the younger generation can take to heart.
Ryan Gallant, Massachusetts: “Two things stick out to me. First, we’ll never be perfect, and we’ll never know everything. But we can make up for our weaknesses by putting in the effort to improve, being a team player willing to chip in anywhere, and, quite frankly, just being a genuinely good, down-to-earth person. Second, we’re going to host a lot of games, championships and other events throughout our careers. Be a good host and do the little things to make your guests, whether a fellow SID, administrator, media member or anyone else, feel welcome and at home while on your campus.”
E.J. Stevens, Marquette: “One piece of advice I’ve gotten is to enjoy the moments. I feel fortunate to be able to work with coaches and student-athletes who are trying their best to represent their schools, families and hometowns during intercollegiate competition. Every time I work an event, I make sure to take a good look around, feel the energy of the crowd, and take in the moment I’m living in and enjoy the now.”
Cody Soto, Baylor: “Take it one day at a time. You can plan ahead, but you can’t get too far ahead because it’s the present day’s work that matters most. Also, one thing made me rethink how I prioritize and separate my work life and personal life. It’s simple: some emails can wait until tomorrow. It’s alright to take time off and take a breath even in the midst of a crazy season.”
Cody Soto
Also mentioned:
- Find the positive and run with it
- Don’t get caught up in the name of the school you work for — cultural fit is important
- Keep things fresh and get rid of what’s not working or is no longer important
Nathaniel Gale, Florida Tech: “The best advice that I’ve received was from current CoSIDA mentor Adam Ledyard (East Texas Baptist). He told me to not get caught up with the name of the school at which you work at because cultural fit is much more important. You obviously need to make sure it covers all your personal needs but if you’re comfortable, the level (DI, DII, DIII, NAIA, etc.) doesn’t matter.”
Question 3
What are some must-have skills needed to get this job as an SID done?
Top responses:
- Time management
- Interpersonal skills
- Organization
- Writing
Time management and interpersonal skills made up the bulk of the responses about must-have skills. Equally important to young members is the ability to build relationships.
Sam Gobert, Carroll: “The beginning of the year became a bit overwhelming with all of the events starting at the same time, so making a plan of what I needed to get done, and when, was very important. My Gmail account has access to Google tasks, and I can add in tasks or jobs that need to be completed yet. I look at it every day.”
Taylor O’Connor, Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference: “Being personable with them all (league SIDs) makes collecting/distributing information much easier than working alone/not knowing them. Also makes problem solving much easier.”
Also mentioned:
- Patience
- Multi-tasking
- Delegating
- Composure under pressure/mediator
Emily Zadny, Loras: “Patience is something I learned very quickly in my first six months as the Director of Athletic Communications at Loras — my first full-time job out of college. Rome wasn’t built in a day and the same goes with sports information. With multiple sports happening and crossover seasons, sometimes you just have to do what you can (to the best of your abilities, of course) and not beat yourself up if you don’t get something done you had hoped. It’s something I’m still working on but also something I’ve learned is very important!”
Question 4
What technology do you wish would be invented to make your life as an SID easier?
Top responses:
- Automated game notes
- Software that would auto-pull data for athletes into their bios — a click of a button at the end of the season to update everything
- Better software (statistics, photo organization, broadcasting, voice automation)
Young members were creative — if not all over the board — with inventions that would make their technological hells more livable. The broad categories of software and statistics were popular targets.
Cameron Boon, Stony Brook: “One of my co-workers pitched this and it’s an excellent idea. You take the XMLs and game data that is generated during each game and you teach the software to populate trends (good or bad) on its own. Whether it’s good stretches against a particular opponent, situational statistics or just hot shooting over three games, you choose the notes you like and put them into your packets. Saves the time of searching for numbers and could even find things that you aren’t able to. It then helps populate trend statistics, game highs and lows, and everything else to help your media and fans stay up to date.”
Harrison Huntley, Charleston Southern: “Speech-to-text is a great technology, but it isn’t quite at the point where it can replace human transcription. An improved speech-to-text program would cut so much time out of the post-game process, whether it’s transcribing interview quotes or simply helping to write a recap faster.”
Kyle Lancto, Castleton: “We see Amazon Alexa and Google Home and Siri and all of these things that are personal assistants to help make our lives ‘easier.’ One thing that I think should be invested in is a stat program that uses voice commands. I think it could be very effective, especially at the D-III level. Acting as a caller as the computer puts in what we say would be really cool and useful for the one-stop-shop SID.”
Also mentioned:
- A machine that allows me to be three places at once
- Cloning device to make more student workers
- Technology to support teaching the profession to newcomers
Maddie Heaps, San Diego State: “Learning how to stat, write, etc. all needs to be accessible quickly, efficiently and affordably to allow for the newest talent to join the field.”
Question 5
Compared to your expectations when you started, what has surprised you the most about the job?
Top responses:
- How large a role social media and graphics has in the profession
- Scope of responsibilities (i.e., how many hats you wear, the sheer amount of multi-tasking)
- Work/life balance and the mental aspect of the job
Surprisingly, the generation that grew up on social media was caught off guard by just how much of the SID life revolves around Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Kelsey Whaley, St. Cloud State: “Social media was still really in its infancy, and from taking my first official position in 2015 to now, it’s shocking to see how much more time I spend designing graphics and studying social media trends than the traditional aspects of ‘sports information’.”
Kelsey Whaley (center) at the #CoSIDA19 5K.
Sean Daniels, Wisconsin-Parkside: “Now in my role at Parkside, I feel like I spend a great majority of my time working on graphic design and branding projects. I love doing graphic design, don’t get me wrong, but all the time spent doing game-day graphics, coaches requests, etc., takes up a lot of the time I used to enjoy getting familiar with stats and records for the teams. Now I feel like I miss some of the student-athletes’ statistical milestones.”
Travis Larner, Elmira: “Probably the scope of what we’re responsible for. It’s not just stories and stats. It’s photos, videos, graphic design, web design and maintenance, traditional media, social media, event planning and management, and in many ways, our products impact recruiting and alumni relations. And every time a new product or technology comes out, it’s our responsibility to learn how to effectively integrate it into our department.”
To the older generation that’s creeping up on retirement, the “didn’t-see-this-coming” reality of mental health for others is no surprise.
Adam Fornwalt, Harford Community College: “Something else that I didn’t fully understand is the toll this line of work can take on your mental and physical health. I’d read about it but didn’t really believe it until struggling with it myself. Thankfully, CoSIDA has plenty of great resources to turn to for help in this area. Take a day off when needed, eat healthy, exercise, and find enjoyment in things outside of work.”
Also mentioned:
- The building of strong and meaningful relationships
- How much behind-the-scenes work goes on to make an event run smoothly
- Expectation to produce an NCAA Division I level product with limited resources at a 2-year college
- New trend that many SIDs want to make themselves a brand
Hannah Bradley, Southern Conference: “I didn’t expect the job to lead me to so many life-long friends and for the people to be so wonderful and helpful. It’s such a relief to know I work in a profession where I can pick up the phone and call anyone for help and every single person would help me in any way they could! So many professions talk about ‘family.’ but SIDs live it out.”
Hannah Bradley (right) with Hannah Allison at #CoSIDA19.
Question 6
Is there anything you wish you had done in college to prepare yourself for the “real world”?
Top responses:
- Took more classes on graphic design, video, Adobe Creative Suite, photography, writing, marketing
- Gotten an earlier start, asked for more responsibilities as an undergrad
Two things kept coming up here. First, a vast majority of the respondents wished they had taken different college courses — namely video editing, graphic design and photography — in order to be more prepared as a young SID. Second, many lamented not getting started in the field earlier as a student assistant. Some weren’t even aware of the field until close to graduation or after.
Travis Larner, Elmira: “…I wish I took more new media courses or even majored in something along the lines of photography or graphic design. Those skills are no longer extras; they are becoming mandatory in this field, especially working in a small office at the Division III level where the luxury of having dedicated design staff isn’t affordable.”
JaeLynn Ellison, William Jewell: “Professionally, I didn’t even know the sports information director existed until my senior year of college, but I wish I had and that I’d gotten involved. I had an idea of what I wanted to do but I didn’t know it had an actual name. I learned pretty much everything on the fly when I started my career and wish I would’ve gotten a jump on it while still in school.”
Also mentioned:
- Learned how to save and budget, live on my own, taken more time to enjoy college, learned to cook and food prep and take care of my own home
- Attended the CoSIDA Convention as a graduate assistant and gotten involved in CoSIDA committee work
- Asked more questions, volunteered at more events, read more books, networked more
- Learned how to be a strong leader
Katie Mucci, Missouri Valley Conference: “In my first couple years I knew I was good at my job, but I let people who had been in the athletics industry for 20, 30, even 40 years make me question my skill by working with me in a demeaning way, rather than with constructive criticism or a healthy amount of skepticism.”
Katie Mucci
Question 7
What would need to happen for you in your career for you to want to work the next 20 years in athletics communications?
Top responses:
- To be respected, valued and understood by administrators and coaches
- Work/life balance and flexibility
- Better salary and benefits
- More resources (people included)
R-E-S-P-E-C-T. That’s not all the younger generation wants or needs, but it’s a start. If there’s one thing Generation Z through Baby Boomers agree on, it’s that a commitment to any employer for any length of time demands mutual respect and understanding for the relationship to flourish.
Andrew Pedersen, Montana State: “I, like I’m sure most of my peers would say, don’t need to be complimented for every little thing I do. I just want to be respected and for there to be an understanding that what I’m doing is providing value to the staff. I truly enjoy what I’m doing, even with the stress that it brings at times. I think if you’re wanting to stick with a career in athletics communications, it’s a long game. Hang in there.”
Ryan Shumaker, Eastern New Mexico: “I absolutely love the career path I’ve chosen and knew from the second I stepped into a sports information office as a student worker that I could make a career out of the industry. However, as demands have increased with the expansion of technology and the social media takeover that has occurred, there simply aren’t enough people staffed in athletic departments to make everything happen that’s now the expectation of an SID office. I also feel like the compensation for the roles that SID departments are now playing in athletic department successes are not being properly rewarded through increased salaries or budgets…but I do feel as if we as colleagues and we as a younger generation of SIDs need to begin to show correlation between our work and the success of our departments.”
Cyrill Parham, Salisbury: “We’re much more than ‘stat people’ or ‘social media managers.’ We work with nearly every single department on a college campus, such as alumni relations, information technology, maintenance, etc., and are more connected to our campus than many administrators realize.”
Ryan Pfeifer, Northern Colorado: “When others invest in you the way you want to invest in yourselves, great things can happen for the individual and the institution.”
Taylor O’Connor, Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference: “Being young now, it’s much easier to handle the late nights/random assignments/change of plans. It’s hard for me to imagine having this kind of lifestyle while also starting a family though.”
Katie Mucci, Missouri Valley Conference: “I think there’s a lot about the industry that needs to change. Salaries, benefits and an overall culture of respect from administration need to be implemented. I’ve been extremely fortunate to work in places where I’m valued both as a person and monetarily, but I know that’s not the case for the vast majority of athletics communications professionals. While money isn’t everything, it’s necessary to survival. Working 90 hours while not being able to afford decent housing or nutrition isn’t going to make people want to stick around this industry. I think that people my age (ahem, millennials) are much more conscious of the idea of working to live, rather than living to work, and that’s something that’s hard in this field.”
Nicolle Holcomb, Guilford College: “It’s not sustainable to expect one person to be able to cover 20+ sports and work 60+ hour weeks, which happens frequently.”
Also mentioned:
- Progress in diversity and inclusion
- Continue to have a passion for what I do
- Advancement up the ladder
- Greater support for females and minorities
- Good people, work environment and culture
Kiaira Cooper, Kansas: “Progress in diversity and inclusion in the profession would keep me in the career. More seats at the table for those who are minorities is important for me. If there is a glass ceiling I clearly cannot break due to close-minded people, then that’s a sign that I should move on. So progression is key!”
Kiaira Cooper (third from right) at #CoSIDA18 with CoSIDA members and Maria Taylor of ESPN (third from left).
Marissa Avanzato, Texas A&M: “I believe it’s the people that you work with. I think a big component would be for coaches to understand our role and job duties. A lot of times SIDs are considered the punching bags for issues that go wrong and most of the time, it’s beyond our control. I think work cultures need to be strong and a solid foundation for success. I believe people leave the industry because of a poor work environment, not the actual job itself.”
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