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CoSIDA.com/CoSIDA360 Magazine Archive
Note: This story appeared in the Spring 2020 May edition of CoSIDA 360 Magazine. To view the full magazine, click here.
Perspectives From Outside the Profession
Embracing a Growth Mindset
Having a "fixed" or "growth" mindset is an indication of you potential.
by Stevie Baker-Watson – Associate Vice President for Campus Wellness & Theodore Katula Director of Athletics and Recreational Sports
Over the past several weeks, our normal has been redefined for us as colleges and universities transitioned to e-learning and suspended events that brought guests to campus, including intercollegiate athletics. Almost everything we do on a daily basis is directly related to athletics competition, so to imagine a world without games and meets, even temporarily, made us sad, angry and a little stunned. This moment, however, is a growth moment for us all and especially for members of CoSIDA.
For me, assessing my colleagues for a “fixed” or “growth” mindset may be the greatest initial assessment of their potential. Are you willing to chase a challenge? Or do you believe you’ve reached your potential? Are you innovating and being creative? Or is it the same year after year? For many of us, we have a growth mindset in our office for no other reason that the environment around us has changed. For professionals who have lived in the certainty of sport statistics, the addition of websites and social media has made it hard to keep the day-to-day safely within grasp, so I find some colleagues choose to be in a fixed mindset. It’s just easier.
In the CoSIDA world, a growth mindset is essential as the industry has moved from “sports information” to “athletics communications.” Yesterday’s sports information professional didn’t give much thought to telling a story beyond a game recap. For today’s athletics communications professional, it’s an imperative. It could be the difference between a prospective student and their family choosing your institution or an alumnus donating back to the university. People want to connect to something bigger than themselves and that isn’t happening for most when reading a box score or a game recap. Practically, if you don’t accept this “new world,” it could be almost eight months before a team’s web page or social media account is updated.
Evolution from sports information to athletics communications requires that today’s professionals are open to new ideas, as the work of the athletics communication professional is important to connect the athletics department with institutional enrollment, marketing and advancement efforts. In my more than 20 years of experience, I have yet to meet a sports information/athletics communication professional who wants to be told exactly what to do, so I encourage you to seek clarity with your supervisor and then use your creativity to achieve the outcome.
Growth-minded individuals have probably been excited about my commentary, but for the fixed-mindset individual, my suggestions have probably been seen as “adds” to the daily work. In reality, I’m asking you to flip your work on its side and leave some stuff behind, or for others. Hire students, train them and then put them in situations to be successful. Work with your supervisor to ensure your daily work connects to specific goals; you’re right, you can’t say yes to every coach who stops by and wants a feature piece. Tell your boss you need help, and then accept it when it’s given. Keep nominating student-athletes for awards that showcase their success; then publicize it across all your platforms. Let student-athletes tell their stories about their experiences at your university. Ask if university communications can help to update routine content on your website or add content from the main university site. Let go of the idea that you, as the sports information or athletics communications professional, are the only one who can contribute in a meaningful way to your website or social media accounts. Develop a team and thrive on the challenges in front of you.
Like so many of my colleagues, I mourn the loss of the spring season, but this moment gives us an opportunity to redefine who we are, what we do and how we do it. We will rock this moment because every day we prepare our student-athletes and ourselves to adapt and accept change in the work environment, and perform under stress. While we may not have been preparing for a global virus outbreak, we were practicing the skills that will allow us to excel in this time of uncertainty. Use this moment not to catch up, but to get ahead in reimagining the athletics communication professional of today.
Stefanie ‘Stevie’ Baker-Watson was named DePauw’s Theodore Katula Director of Athletics and Recreational Sports in January 2012. She oversees 23 varsity sports which compete at the NCAA Division III level in addition to the intramural and club sports programs. In 2018, Baker-Watson was named NCAA Division III Administrator of the Year by Women Leaders in College Sports and was named a Community Award Winner by the Indiana Youth Services Association for her work on DePauw’s campus with the “Make Good Decisions” campaign which promotes the Indiana Lifeline Law. A graduate of Ohio University with a degree in athletic training, she earned a master’s in exercise science and cardiac rehabilitation from Northeastern Illinois University.
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