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CoSIDA.com/ThankYourSID
This feature is part of our series of profiles showcasing members throughout the CoSIDA membership during the celebration of CoSIDA Membership Recognition Week for 2021. See more features at CoSIDA.com/ThankYourSID.
Elisa Mitton – University of Windsor, Sports Information Coordinator
by Brandon Jones – CoSIDA Intern
Elisa Mitton is a fixture at the University of Windsor, which is located in the province of Ontario and is Canada's southernmost university. Having graduated from Windsor in 2003, Mitton has worked in the athletic department since then. She is the lone sports information professional at the school, coordinating publicity for 13 varsity programs and two club teams. In addition to her SID work, she also coordinates the operations for all Lancer varsity home events. Her CoSIDA involvement includes serving on the former college division management council and being a presenter in the CANSIDA professional development series of webinars.
Mitton covering a Team Canada men’s soccer game at the 2015 Summer Universiade in Gwangju, South Korea. (photo credit: Mathieu Belanger)
You've spent your entire career at Windsor. What is your favorite part about the continuity of your various jobs within the Lancers athletic department?
EM: Even though the same things happen each year at the same time, every day is different. I have witnessed the ebbs and flows of many of our programs over the years, and I have loved watching our teams grow from struggling programs to national contenders. I have seen student-athletes start their university careers and grow into successful adults who support our programs as alumni. Thankfully, none of their children have become Lancers yet. When that happens, it may be time for me to start thinking of retirement!
What are some of your favorite parts about your current role as Windsor’s Sports Information Coordinator?
EM: I am also in awe almost every day at how far we have come in this profession and as a department at the University of Windsor. When I started, we were faxing in our scores to the media and athletic websites didn’t exist. Now we broadcast the games live, update our fans instantly through social media and live stats, and provide images and recaps within minutes of it finishing.
I really enjoy being creative with our social media posts. Creating fun and engaging content that is outside the regular day-to-day recap or game day posts helps to break up the routine and hopefully brings a smile to the faces of our Lancer family.
I also really enjoy dealing with the older generation of Lancer fans that have been around for decades. Some of them were a part of our department and supporting our teams from their inception, and some of them know our Lancer history better than I do! I am always learning something from them, and I really appreciate their dedication and love of our program. I hope that one day I will be 80 years old and still be watching the blue and gold compete - and maybe I can even be a resource to their future SID.
Another one of the favourite parts of my job is working with some of my fellow colleagues in the OUA and U SPORTS. We really have each other’s backs and work together to support each other to get the job done. Without them, I don’t know where I would be.
Elisa Mitton was part of the Team Canada communications team at the 2015 Summer Universiade in Gwangju, South Korea. Here, she is behind the scenes helping produce a Canada Day video to send to family, friends and fans back home.
What are some of your favorite hobbies outside of work?
EM: I love a good book. If I can escape inside a great story for even just a few minutes a day, it really helps me reset and recharge my batteries. Working out with my colleagues at noon hour also ranks up there as one of my favourite past times, as well as spending time with my spouse, kids, family and friends.
What's your favorite book genre? What are some of your all-time favorite books?
EM: I wouldn't say that I have a favourite genre of books as I like to change it up depending on my mood, but my favourite authors are the late Maeve Binchy and John Grisham. Some of my favourite books include The Pact by Jodi Picoult, Tara Road by Binchy, and the entire Harry Potter series.
Do you prefer listening to music or podcasts?
EM: Music, 100%. I love modern country and the music I grew up listening to as a teenager. My favourite artists are Dan & Shay, Carrie Underwood, and Jason Aldean.
What advice do you have for someone entering the athletic communications industry?
EM: Find yourself solid stats people. Pay the money, train them up and always have a backup.
And of course, always strive for work-life balance. It is a lot easier said than done (I am still trying to master it myself, especially in October during crossover season) but even if it is just for 30 minutes, you need to walk away from your desk at some point in the middle of the day. Take a step back. If you are at home and an email comes through in the middle of dinner or at 11:00pm, it is okay to not answer it right away. The world is not going to end if an assist doesn’t get changed until the next day.
Elisa Mitton hosting the University of Windsor’s annual Evening of Excellence Athletic Banquet.
Can you identify a few special skills that are essential in being a successful athletic communications professional?
EM: As the SID and home event manager for our 19 varsity teams, multi-tasking is essential. And you want to build good relationships with those around you - your colleagues, community members, alumni, athletes and coaches. It improves collaboration, productivity, creativity, your health, and leads to a transfer of skills and knowledge.
You said that multitasking is essential. What are some examples of how you multitask within your job with the 19 varsity sports?
EM: This week was a prime example for multitasking. We had five season/home openers and our cross country team was at the provincial championships. I spent my week doing season previews, social media promotion plans for all our games, and helped with the release of a video series for our new facility that is currently under construction. I got our event operations set up and ready for our home games and managed our ticket sales. I got all the webcast broadcast pieces together for our five productions, finished editing headshots for four of our teams, and then was in-game announcer for volleyball while also helping my student broadcast team troubleshoot our webcast issues. I did game and championship recaps, updated and released all-star graphics, and updated our photo databases.
I also wrapped up our fall sport seasons by finalizing season stats, announcing athletes of the week, and editing the necessary box scores from their last week of games. I know it sounds like a lot, and it was an intense week, but I am very lucky to have a team of students that work with me and assist me, especially on game days.