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Pictured above: Keonte' Herrera is the primary athletic communications contact for LSU’s volleyball team and softball team. Here, he is pictured courtside with Tigers volleyball head coach Tonya Johnson.
The truth is — I still love this game
by Keonte' Herrera – LSU, Assistant Athletic Communications Director @Ke2Success
Keonte’ Herrera joined the LSU athletic department as assistant athletic communications director a little over a year ago (in September 2021). The Louisiana native is the primary contact for LSU volleyball and softball. Herrera has worked at the Division I and Division II levels in the state of Texas, with prior experience at Texas State (2019-21), St. Edward’s University (2018), Texas A&M University-Kingsville (2016-18) and Texas A&M University-Commerce (2015).
One night this fall, he woke up and jotted down his thoughts on why he continues to love the athletic communications profession, despite all the challenges and stressors and in the wake of the “Great Resignation” movement sweeping our country. Take a moment to read this thoughts on how he focuses on the “why” of being a sports communications professional and his message to colleagues in college athletics.
Why am I still here?
We all see it. Not just the mass exodus of having a traditional job around the country with the “Great Resignation” phenomenon, but even before that, the mass exodus in the industry of collegiate athletics communications. And, others in college sports professional roles.
I’d be lying if I said I haven’t considered leaving. Or even applied for other opportunities to see what is out there. Yet, I am still here in college sports communications — and by choice, I must add.
Why? When leaving for green pastures is so popular, justifiable, and acted upon, why have I chosen not to move on?
The truth is — I still love the game. Volleyball, the diamond sports, both genders of basketball, tennis, golf, track and field, and the king that is football. It’s all about sports!
I still love the game. I love being connected with my teams and documenting the journeys, no matter in what medium or form the stories are told. Don’t get me wrong: the cliché but factual response of “I love the people and relationships” is extremely important, but people are everywhere and in every profession and walk of life. It’s “sports” that is the common denominator that brings this group of people together and I still love being in the middle of the whirlwind of competing.
The chief issue that most have in this industry is the compensation levels, especially considering the time commitment our positions require. Although I am content with the trajectory of my personal career currently, contentment does not mean I fail to advocate for myself and others. To be completely honest, there is no one solution for solving the salary issue, but here are a couple of things I like to keep in mind.
First, comparison is tricky and can be a thief of the love for the game and the grind.
It's easy to look at others around the world, look at associates and friends outside of athletics, and yearn for what we believe they have in terms of compensation and time off. Be cautious here, and remember your “why” in this field. If your “why” begins to wane and is not as strong as in the past, it's OK to move on. However, there still is a possibility that the grass is greener where you water it and maybe you have allowed this side of the yard get too dry. So, be honest with yourself in your evaluation of your work, your efforts, your creativity mode.
Second: I believe you must find the right fit for you that makes it worth being in this industry. Finding the right fit takes time. I’ll repeat that. Finding the right fit takes time.
I spent years at the NCAA Division II level and in that time alone, I had both great fits and challenging situations. And even when I found the right fits, I learned it doesn’t fit forever.
Growth must take place and that can change your responsibilities, the direction you want to go in your career, and definitely your pay. Whenever I thought the most about stepping away, I noticed the alignment between myself and the employer or even the alignment between myself and my department was off. This does not have to be a bad thing however because, again, you grow.
I learned many things about the places where I did not fit and work cultures. I gained an understanding of the things I wanted professionally, the type of leadership I needed to be under and many other aspects to this business that are too extensive to cover here. But those experiences had a purpose and helped me get to where I am today. I am grateful for those challenges and more importantly, grateful for the directors, coaches and student-athletes that played a role in my development along the way.
Now, about time commitment and workload. For me, this has been my biggest challenge, and I’m certain I'm not alone. I'm married with two children under the age of six at the time of this article being published. Family is important to me. Children grow fast and my wife Priscilla and I are not getting younger (although 30 is the new 20, right?!!!) It's tough when I can’t be there to see my son’s first soccer goal, go to my daughter’s daddy-daughter days at daycare, or take my wife on a date on the weekends.
Keonte Herrera with his wife, Priscilla, who was a four-year softball letterman and Conference USA MVP (2011) at East Carolina University, with their children, son Malakai and daughter Ariella.
However, I do my best to be intentional in all circumstances when it comes to spending time with them, whether it’s setting up ‘daddy days’ with each kid or calling it an early day to grab lunch for my wife. Anything helps. And going back to the right fit, it's nice when my family is welcomed to my workplace and trustworthy relationships are formed to watch our kids so that Priscilla and I can go on a date. Being purposeful in making that happen has been a huge game changer in battling burnout, comparison and ultimately, defeat.
With all that being said, I understand this field is not for everyone and that nothing is forever. But, take time to reflect. Do you still love “the game” to be close to it to this degree? Are you taking the necessary steps to find contentment and being intentional for your peace of mind? Are you studying your craft enough to know what you want, what skills to develop and most importantly, go after the opportunities you deserve?
If you take the time to examine and be honest with yourself on where you stand, you may realize that it’s not your time to join the exodus and get back to loving what you do.
Because it matters.
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