This story is part of our 360 package for September 2022, to view more stories,
"The Life" is a series surveying College Sports Communicators members for their thoughts on topics and issues in the athletic communications industry, plus personal insights into not-so-serious issues, too.
Christian Almanza was recently promoted into a social media specialist role at FIU, his alma mater, after holding the title of assistant director of athletic communications. He remains the primary contact for men's soccer, women's basketball, swimming & diving and beach volleyball, and has been running the main @FIUAthletics social media accounts since mid-February while assisting with football social accounts and a variety of other social pages. Almanza’s role will continue to evolve so he will focus primarily on creative content and social media management. Almanza joined the FIU athletic communications department in January of 2019 as a student intern. He is a proud first-generation college graduate within his family.
Sam Boyle is in his fourth year at Carthage, a NCAA Division III institution in Kenosha, Wisc., and recently was promoted to his current position from assistant sports information director. Boyle graduated in 2014 graduate from Marian (Wis.) with a bachelor's degree in communication with an emphasis in public relations. As a student, he served as athletic communications intern, handling video production and media efforts. He also was an assistant SID at the University of Mount Union in 2018-19.
Cinematography, photography and graphic design are passions for Jarrett DeHetre who serves as digital communications and creative associate at his alma mater, the University of Michigan. He graduated in 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and served as head student manager for the nationally-ranked UM softball program, also handling video and digital duties. He then was a video and analytics coordinator for UM Athletics for four years prior to his new position. DeHetre also serves as a freelance wedding videographer and as a Twitch eSports producer and commentator.
Kelsey Whaley is in her first year as chair of CSC's New Media Committee. In June, Whaley was appointed Athletic Communications Director at Division III Luther College after serving at St. Cloud State University. She had been the assistant director since 2018 at St. Cloud, a NCAA Division II school in St. Cloud, Minn. where she earned numerous men’s ice hockey and wrestling national design honors in the Publications and Digital Design contest. Prior to her time at St. Cloud, Whaley was at St. Catherine University, where she served as the SID from January 2016 to April 2018.
What would your best friend say is your best or top quality?
Almanza: That I’m a great relationship builder and have the unique ability to create deep human connection with just about anyone I meet. I have a way of making people feel comfortable, understood, and heard. I also have a pretty mean beer pong shot.
Boyle: My friends would say I'm a pretty funny guy. I like to make people laugh and I often crack jokes or reference The Simpsons, Tommy Boy, or skits from the Chappelle Show.
DeHetre: My ability to listen. I pride myself on hearing everybody out, sometimes to a fault. But think how wonderful life can be if you listen. I am a video guy, but sometimes my best ideas would come from our athletic trainer when I worked for the softball team.
Whaley: Other than being slightly crazy, I think my best friend would say my heart is my best quality. I genuinely care about every team and student-athlete I work with and want to provide the same level of coverage as DI Power 5 programs. Whether it's gameday graphics/webcasts, media days or general social media, my staff and I work hard to make sure every team feels like a priority, even when there’s 20,000 events going on.
Favorite gameday sports app(s) or your favorite work tool(s), app(s), or software – and why?
Almanza: WSC Sports! It’s an automated live video clipping tool that is really a life saver for posting video content to social media both during and after games. We started using it this Fall semester at FIU and I’ve been blown away by the capabilities and customization. It’d be impossible to concisely summarize all the reasons why I love it as a resource, but it’s a huge time saver for us!
Boyle: I use the Regrammer repost app a lot. You can easily repost photos, videos, stories, and IGTV videos, so it's a great way for me to repost photos or videos from our team sports accounts. Perfect when I'm in a hurry or need to get something up quickly.
DeHetre: My favorite tool is my trusty SD Card to Lightning adaptor. Using that, I am able to dump a video or photo immediately from my camera to my phone, and send it off wherever it needs to be sent.
Whaley: As a fan and athletics communications professional, my go-to gameday sports app is Twitter. It’s the quickest way to find and do score and information updates on gameday, especially with multiple sports going on. I also have a love-hate relationship with Photoshop and the Adobe Suite as a graphic designer.
As CSC grows and evolves with our new All-In membership, governance structure and branding identity initiatives, what are your favorite benefits — or anticipated benefits — of being a College Sports Communicators member?
Almanza: The ability to connect with and learn from others in our industry, both in the creative and digital space, and on the sports information side of things. The field of athletic communications is constantly evolving and has expanded tremendously over the years as we’ve further ascended into the digital world. I applaud the organization for acknowledging that trend and rebranding into a more encompassing moniker.
Boyle: Apart from the great seminars and lessons during the convention, I think it's just getting together and meeting other SIDs. With the busy schedule every athletic communications professional has, it's great to meet them in person rather than over email or phone.
DeHetre: I am very excited to be a member of a community of like-minded individuals, ones who all compete, but do so in a way where we are always looking out for each other. Somehow those 'fires' of competing can help form the strongest bonds.
Whaley: I’m really excited about the potential for collaboration and feedback. I really enjoy hearing tips, strategies and ideas in all areas of our profession, whether it be surviving crossover season, graphic design ideas or self-care techniques. It’s another source of inspiration, both professional and personally. As the chair of the New Media Committee, I’m also really excited for new members to contribute and bring new ideas to our meetings as the organization transitions into a new era.
Give your best advice to fellow members in navigating the challenges as the new academic and athletic year kicks off….
Almanza: Take a deep breathe and enjoy the ride. The season is a long grind and can be very taxing physically and mentally. Remember why we do what we do and that it’s a great privilege to be able to work in sports. Find purpose and fulfillment in serving the student athletes and programs that we support. Also be organized and prepared because things unfold very quickly and falling behind is not fun.
Boyle: Don't stress over the little stuff. Reach out to your conference SIDs if you are stuck on something. It never hurts to ask for help if you need it.
DeHetre: I
am normally not one giving advice, as a answered earlier that I like to listen. But, in all honesty, my advice would be to take a step back and listen to yourself. Why do you do what you do? I feel like so often we can get caught up in content planning, editing, and event coverage, that we forget our why, our purpose. And whatever yours is, that is why you do what you love. Remembering that can go a long way.
Whaley: It may make me sound like a broken record, but make sure to take time for yourself away from your job - especially you, young professionals! It’s so easy to get wrapped up in the craziness of college athletics. It can
feel like a 24-hour job, but don’t let that thought dominate. It’s especially important to carve out me-time, even if it’s just unplugging for an hour to watch your favorite TV show after work.
What sport or sports have you fallen in love with or really embraced, and why?
Almanza: Soccer. Men and women’s soccer at FIU were the first sports I ever covered as an SID, and it helped me appreciate and learn about soccer in a way that I’ll always be grateful for. It's a global sport that connects and bridges cultures from all over the world. As FIU stands for Florida International, I’ve witnessed here first-hand how special it is when a group of people from completely different parts of the globe come together to unite for a common goal.
Boyle: Being the son of a basketball coach, I've always loved basketball, and I still do! However, since I've gotten to Carthage I've really enjoyed being around volleyball. I've learned more about the game and really enjoy watching my student-athletes compete.
DeHetre: As much of a cop out as this answer is, it truly is hard to pick. Each sport has such unique individuals and getting to know them is truly what makes it worth it. Because you know you are helping to make their experience one that is absolutely top notch.
Whaley: Volleyball. I’ve played the sport since I was eight years old, and I’m so excited to see it grow on the national level. There’s never a dull moment during matches. Something is always happening, and the atmosphere in the gyms is intense at any level.
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Almanza: My first dream as a child was to be a wide receiver in the NFL and if you asked me back then, I was fully convinced I was going to be in the Hall of Fame. That's until I realized in middle school that I was much smaller than most of the kids in my class, LOL. My next dream was to be a stand-up comedian.
Boyle: I always thought I was going to play pro basketball. Both of my cousins were great at basketball. In fact, one of them played at UW-Milwaukee, so it seemed like it would be second nature. I wrote about it in middle school, I was a huge NBA fan and played the game until my sophomore year of high school. Being in this line of work now, I get a front-row seat to watching it every year - which is great!
DeHetre: I always wanted to be a crew chief for a race car driver. Odd, right?
Whaley: My younger brother and I planned to take over for Mike and Mike on ESPN radio when they finally retired. Our show would be called
KP and MC in the Morning, and we would be the first brother-sister duo on the ESPN airways. If that didn’t work out, my backup plan was to be the next Kristen Chenoweth.
This or that: Pick up or delivery?
Almanza: Pick up!! I'm actually a well-known opposer of delivery apps within my friend group and resist using them as much as possible. I enjoy leaving the house. The wait time for delivery tends to be long, the food arrives less fresh, and WHY pay extra delivery fees? I could go on about this forever.
Boyle: Delivery, I'm a big fan of Doordash, especially when working long nights. I don't use it often but sometimes it's great to know I can get something delivered and have it waiting when I get home.
DeHetre: Depends … is delivery free?
Whaley: Delivery, unless the fee is absurd.
Would you rather ride a bike, ride a horse, or drive a car?
Almanza: A bike. Miami traffic is awful and riding a horse seems antiquated.
Boyle: Drive; growing up, our family would take trips by car and now I just enjoy driving.
DeHetre: Easy. Drive a car.
Whaley: Is a dragon an option? Can I ride a dragon (I’m on a Game of Thrones kick right now)?
If you could hire someone to help you, would it be with cleaning, cooking, or yard work?
Almanza: Cooking. I believe my cleaning and yard work skills are already immaculate. Cooking is an art form I have not yet mastered. I’ll gladly throw my money at anyone who can wow me with an exquisite meal.
Boyle: Cooking, I'm not the greatest cook in the world, but I'm getting better!
DeHetre: I am going to go with cleaning. While having someone cook for you would be nice, being able to cook and then not have to clean up? Now that's a win right there!
Whaley: All of the above … but if I have to pick just one however, it would be cleaning.
What celebrity would you like to meet at Starbucks for a cup of coffee?
Almanza: Gary Vaynerchuk. He’s got a great perspective on social media, branding, communications, and the ever-evolving digital space. I also appreciate his core values of empathy, kindness, patience, and consistency.
Boyle: I would love to have coffee with Dwayne Johnson, I was a big fan of his when I was little and he has done so many great things. I would love to talk about his experiences and how he got to where he is now. He seems like he would be a great person to learn from.
DeHetre: I think I have to go with Tom Cruise - and no, it is not because of Top Gun Maverick. (Although, yes, that helps.)
Whaley: Lin Manuel-Miranda