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Note: This story appeared in the Spring 2021 May edition of CoSIDA 360 Magazine. To view the full magazine, click here.
Editors note: This is Sam Atkinson’s final CoSIDA 360 Magazine presidential column. The entirety of his term has come during a pandemic. He was not able to receive the gavel in person last year in Las Vegas and he will not be able to make the historic hand off in person to our first president from the NAIA — Cindy Potter — this June in Orlando. Still, he has made a significant impact on our organization and the profession. Thank you, Sam, for your commitment to moving us forward through difficult times.
From the President's Desk
Advancing the Profession Forward
by Sam Atkinson – CoSIDA president 2020-21 / Gallaudet University, Associate Athletic Director for Communications
Ayear ago in this space, I encouraged everyone to “Be The Change.” It was not a new idea but more a personal request to see our membership rise to the challenge as we faced a global pandemic and a racial and social justice movement.
I firmly believe change starts with each person individually and those personal changes add to the greater good.
As CoSIDA’s President, there have been many times during this past year I have changed my thinking on things after listening, educating myself, reading the Zoom room and, most important, learning from each other.
I hope you have seen personal growth of your own during this trying year. It can be a humbling experience when you have to admit you were wrong, you don’t know the answer, you don’t have a certain skill or you don’t want to change. Change is hard but a necessity to evolve and grow at the same time.
What we have witnessed this past year is an athletic communications profession forced to change how we communicate and share our content to promote our athletic programs and student-athletes. CoSIDA members had to elevate their creative services and reimagine their storytelling capabilities.
Our profession has been heading down this digital and creative track for years but things sped up exponentially due to the pandemic, working remotely and hosting athletic competitions in a different environment.
So where are we going?
This has been a topic the CoSIDA Executive Board of Directors has wrestled with for years but this spring has forced us to move it to the forefront.
We announced in April that the Executive Board of Directors has commissioned a CoSIDA strategic branding review. This is our opportunity to explore and understand the issues our members face in the growing college athletics communications environment and how CoSIDA and our profession is perceived by others in and out of collegiate athletics.
This spring issue of CoSIDA 360 dives into several of these topics. CoSIDA Director of Creative Services Beau White shares why All Creatives & Communicators Deserve a Seat At Our Table (page 6) and why we must open our doors wider to be more inclusive of all types of communications and creative professionals. Harvard University Assistant Director of Athletics Imry Halevi talks about The Evolution of Storytelling (page 9) and what skills and traits are necessary to deliver nowadays. Middlebury College Assistant Director of Athletic Communications Ali Paquette pens a story about Elevating Creative Services at Small Schools (page 13) and how athletic directors who support their SID with added full-time creative colleagues will have an advantage over those who try to get by with a one-person shop.
The issue also pays tribute to CoSIDA’s 2020 and 2021 Special Award winners (page 26), our 500-plus volunteers (page 17) and how our members are surviving the “sprall” this spring (page 20). The issue also previews #CoSIDA21 (page 24) and what this year’s virtual convention (June 7-10) will entail and other ways to get involved.
I am confident and optimistic about CoSIDA’s future and the possibilities that lie ahead. I hope after reading this issue you will feel the same.
Speaking of getting involved, I want to leave you with a quick story about volunteer service. I got involved with CoSIDA because I wanted to give back to the profession that had given me so much to help my career. After my first CoSIDA Convention in 2007, I got involved with the Goodwill and Wellness Committee and that led me to dream bigger and made me want to aim for a bigger leadership role within the organization. CoSIDA has helped so many in the athletic communications field advance in the profession and onto other senior athletic administration positions. Think of the possibilities if CoSIDA were to create more room at our table to help other communicators with their careers?
As I wrap up my year as CoSIDA’s President, I want to personally thank our members for your support and faith in me. This has been one of my highlights of my professional career and I am proud of everything our organization has accomplished in 2020-21.
A quick summary of the year can be wrapped up with: we became the change, we advocated, we overcame and we are now advancing our profession forward.
It has been an honor and a pleasure serving as your President.
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