Lauren Dellipoali has this month’s spotlight as she enters her third year at Division III MIT. Lauren also is one of the two lead coordinators on the CSC Women steering committee.
Already an award-winning young professional, Dellipoali is the primary contact for the Engineers sailing, soccer, softball, squash, swimming and diving, men's tennis, men's volleyball and water polo programs. Dellipoali is one of three full-time MIT staffers in the athletic communications, marketing and promotion department — and they oversee publicity and marketing for 33 varsity sports.
Last year was a special year professionally for Lauren. She was named the
2022 NWPC (Northeast Water Polo Conference) Sports Information Director of the Year and assisted in the promotion of three-time CSC Academic All-American and 2022-23 overall NCAA Woman of the Year recipient, Engineer women's soccer player
Karenna Groff.
Lauren has been part of the CSC Mentorship Program and is a member of EAST-COMM.
Prior to her work at MIT, Dellapoali served at Johns Hopkins University as an athletic communications assistant (2017-19) and was the athletic communications intern at Wesleyan University (from 2015-17). Earlier career work found her at ESPN from 2013-2015 as a production assistant and stats analyst, and as a highlights intern for NBC Sports for the 2012 Summer Olympics.
She is a 2012 graduate of Syracuse University with a double major (radio/TV/film and psychology) and a minor in management.
Lauren Dellipoali with MIT Director of Communications, Promotions, and Marketing Ken Johnson and 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year Karenna Groff (also a three-time CSC Academic All-American soccer standout) on the field at Fenway Park for Groff’s first pitch. Groff was honored by the Red Sox for her NCAA Woman of the Year recognition.
What do you love the most about this profession?
LD: The fact I can get paid to do what I love! My parents didn’t love their jobs, and the fact that I can get up every day and go do something I love and am truly passionate about is a blessing. I also love working with my student-athletes. To see what they do daily whether it be academically or athletically is simply amazing and I enjoy the relationships I’ve built with them.
Tell us why your involvement in CSC Women is so important to you; and the benefit of our female members participating in this group.
LD: Being involved in CSC Women is one of the best decisions I’ve made. It has allowed me to build so many great relationships and learn so much about how to navigate being a female in a male-dominated field. Having our female members participate in our monthly informal Zoom chats helps foster a sense of belonging and camaraderie. It allows us to navigate through challenging situations while also having light-hearted discussions. Having this community to help mentor and uplift the women in this profession is special, and I highly recommend that other females get involved in our monthly CSC Women zooms, and encourage anyone to become involved in CSC any way they can!
For those athletic communicators working on a small staff, what advice can you give them about prioritization and work balance?
LD: As with everything, communication is key. Communicate with your coaches, administrators, and other schools about any conflicts, issues etc. You always need to come first, and while it is a challenge for many in our profession, we can’t do our jobs if we are burned out. Set boundaries for yourself and others. I try to not do anything work related after 7 p.m. (unless necessary), and I take one day where I just try and relax. At the end of the day, we are not in a life-or-death field. If that recap isn’t posted until after you get home and eat … then that’s when it gets posted. Never put the job before yourself.
Lauren talking to the MIT softball team after they defeated Simmons, 9-2, in the NCAA Division III Regional Championship which were hosted by MIT.
With the multitude of sports at MIT, and only three full-time communicators and one coach/assistant SID, can you tell us about the importance of developing staff assistance. Are there some strategic ways MIT has gone about doing this, with perhaps roles that student assistants might play?
LD: One thing that might distinguish us from other schools is that we don’t have a whole lot of student staff here at MIT — as our students are typically very involved in a lot of other things. We do rely a lot on our relationships with our student-athletes to come and help us at games outside their sports, and they do a great job and become great recruiters for us, whether it be their teammates or friends. Let your student assistants recruit for you!
With 33 sports and only three staff members, our student assistants are very important to us, whether it be statting games, taking photos, or even making incredible highlight videos. They assist us in so many ways and really help us elevate the coverage of our amazing teams.
You are at a school with amazing athletic and academic feats, and have worked with some stellar student-athletes. What are some of the highlights of your time working with student-athletes and some of their achievements, on and off the playing field or court?
LD: Oh wow, there are so many! I’m so fortunate to have worked at amazing places with incredibly talented student-athletes who excel on the fields, courts, classroom and in special projects and internships; I could spend hours talking about them!
Last year, our soccer star
Karenna Groff winning the overall NCAA Woman of the Year honor was incredible. I remember yelling in the office when she won and then calling my supervisor,
Ken Johnson, who was in San Antonio, and asking what the plan was because we never discussed in detail what we would do if she won.
The MIT softball team’s run to the NCAA Division III Super Regional this past May was another amazing experience. Being with the Johns Hopkins women’s cross country team when they won the National Championship in 2017, and covering the Hopkins baseball team on their World Series run in 2019, are also highlights.
Lauren with the senior class of the Johns Hopkins baseball team and Hopkins baseball broadcaster Harrison Swartz after the Blue Jays won the Centennial Conference Championship.
It's important to capture the attention of young professionals and retain them in this career path. Your advice for your peers in what works for you as you navigate this field?
LD: Never be afraid to ask for help from your colleagues. We are all here to help each other in many ways, whether it be work related or non-work related. If you are new to the field reach out to others about best practices. If you’ve never hosted a championship, ask someone who has. If you’ve never stated a lacrosse game, ask for guidance.
I’ve never heard of someone who has been unwilling to help or provide advice when asked. We all want this profession to grow and be one that people love to be in, and that can’t happen without retaining young professionals and helping them grow in the field. This is an amazing field to work in, and though there will be rough times, at the end of the day it’s such a rewarding experience.
How many undergraduate majors did you have? According to your bio, you are a 2012 Syracuse graduate with a bachelor’s degree in television, radio and film – and also received a bachelor of arts in psychology, with a minor in management studies.
LD: I did have two majors and a minor! I was fortunate Syracuse allowed for the freedom to get different degrees in a multitude of disciplines and programs. I’ve always had an interest in psychology and communications, so those were no-brainers. I also believed if I had knowledge in management it wouldn’t hurt, so I took advantage of that and made sure to get the most out of my time (and money) there!
What experiences from your past have contributed to your success at MIT?
LD: Honestly, each career steps has played such an important roles in my success. Working at NBC and ESPN taught me about working long, crazy hours and how to adjust on the fly. I was fortunate to have great mentors at (Johns) Hopkins in
Ernie Larossa (Associate AD/Athletic Communications) and
Jill Guise (Assistant Director of Athletic communications) who really helped refine my skills as an athletic communicator and gave me the freedom to develop relationships with my teams and grow as a professional. I was also involved in numerous conference and NCAA events while at Hopkins, which has also benefitted me greatly at MIT.
Rapid Fire With Lauren
What is something that most people do not know about you? I can’t swim
I can't start my morning without ... Coffee
My career aspiration .... Stay-at-home dog mom! But, truthfully, I would love to work in the communications/PR area at a professional sports team/organization.
Favorite "pump up" song .... Kryptonite – 3 Doors Down
The top destination on your must-visit list? Either Lambeau Field or Iceland
Best concert you've ever been to .... Backstreet Boys
My top "super power" is .... Always having the best pens
Favorite season: winter/spring/summer or fall? Winter (explains why I went to Syracuse!)