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This story is part of our June 2022 CoSIDA 360 package, to view more stories,
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Back in the (athletics communications) game
Four CoSIDA members who left the profession share why they decided to come back.
by Danny Kambel – The College of Idaho, Director of Athletic Communications @DannyKambel
Nearly 4.3 million people quit their jobs in January 2022, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Job Openings and Labor Turnover Summary. On the flip side, there were also 11.3 million job openings in the same report.
On March 18, 1995, basketball legend Michael Jordan had his agent David Falk issue a statement to the media. That statement was simple, “I'm back” to announce his return to the NBA. Four sports information directors have issued the same statement to the sports information industry in the last year. I'm one of them.
In March 2020 I made the decision in consultation with my girlfriend to leave the sports information profession at the end of the school year from Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon. One week later, the Covid-19 virus made an impact on the college sports landscape with eventual cancelation of seasons. With the cancellation of the seasons and the decision to leave the sports information profession, there were many questions I had to answer personally and professionally. In February of this year, I made my return as the director of athletic communications at The College of Idaho.
Brian Ramsey and family
In the spring of 2017, Brian Ramsey, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications at Ouachita Baptist stepped away from athletics to work in radio broadcasting and ministry. Before stepping away, Ramsey had ascended in the college sports industry to an Associate Athletic Director role.
In August of 2020, Brian Howard, Senior Associate Athletic Director for Communications at Grambling State University, made the move from a role in the athletic communications department at Florida A&M University to the campus communications department. Before moving to an on-campus role, Howard had served as a director at multiple institutions since 2017.
In December of 2019, Dain McKee, Athletic Communications Associate at Middlebury College, took a second hiatus from the college athletics industry to serve as a rural carrier associate with the United States Postal Service. Before the hiatus, he had done freelance sports information work for four years and an assistant director role for eight years. Earlier in his career, he had done other occupations including retail work and a crew leader with the U.S. Census Bureau.
Brian Howard on the football sidelines.
CoSIDA Hall of Fame member Roy Pickerill has always referred to the sports information industry as a family. To rejoin the family, all four individuals were lured back into the profession because of those influences as well as the support of their own families. For Ramsey, it was his wife and for me, it was my girlfriend that encouraged us to consider the opportunities. Both Ramsey and myself, it came down to finding the right fit in the next employer. It's important that the fit comes in many different ways from support of the university as well as its athletic administration.
Some quick tips to find a fit:
- Get the inside scoop – use your connections to discover whom you know at the company.
- Interviewing works both ways – it’s just as valuable for you to interview the company as it is for them to interview you.
Howard shared that it's also important to know what work-life balance looks like for you. The hours of the profession are not changing. “Take into consideration that you need to know what balance is, along with your mental health,” said Howard.
Organizational psychologist Adam Grant recently shared, “sacrificing health and family for work is not an expression of loyalty. It's a sign of poor priorities. Dedication is not what you give up for your job. It's what you give to your job. Commitment is reflected in the values people uphold and the contributions they make.”
Dain McKee working a soccer game.
Ask your coaches and administration to help define your expectations. All four agree that it's important to know your audience with your responsibilities. Common questions to consider — could a graphic suffice, instead of a written press release? Or can you delegate to an intern or an assistant to do the work. “It's exciting for me professionally in some of the challenges that our profession must navigate and how the department has changed and evolved, adapting to the times,” said McKee.
In the interview process, the four of us were asked about the gaps in our sports information careers. Addressing the situation with honesty and knowing the people that you were interviewing with made a difference, noted Ramsey. Plus, despite not being in the profession, the we were all involved in the compilation of game day statistics and saw the transformation in the stat keeping software. When I was away from the profession from December 2012 to September 2013, I took coursework in human resources management. This coursework has allowed me to have a better understanding of the training and development for student interns and beyond.
Some quick tips for discussing the gap:
- Be honest.
- Be prepared to speak about the gap.
- Shorten the gaps — pursue a new skill; take a class, network with others in the industry.
Each of us admit to missing the ‘free time’ as well as weekends that a traditional job provides but would not trade the ability to make a difference in the lives of others is a great reward. Plus, all four of us have adapted our lifestyles to meet the rigorous demands.
Passion for the profession is a driving force for each of us, and we want to become successful and the happiest workers in our personal and professional lives. It has allowed us to advance in our careers and ultimately to live better lives. Equipped with passion, the four of us find ourselves resilient and capable of shifting gears to accommodate the needs of the profession better.
Danny Kambel with his girlfriend.
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