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CSC U Virtual Camp: Back to the Basics
June 1-2 — two sessions each day at 1:00 PM (ET) and 3:30 PM (ET)
This camp is free of charge. Session content to include how to organize and plan office work, creating and maintaining relationships with coaches, game-day operations prep and resources/advice from the pros.
Register here: CollegeSportsCommunicators.com/Register
CSC U Virtual Camp programming subcommittee: Colin Terrill, Sammi Wellman, Eric McDowell, La’Monica Scott, Dave Walters, and Josh Lively. |
CSC U programming subcommittee poised to deliver information to the next generation of athletics communicators
by Laurie Bollig – College Sports Communicators, Director of Membership Engagement @lauriebollig
Colin Terrill, director of athletics marketing, communication and game management for the Milwaukee School of Engineering and the chair of CSC U’s programming subcommittee, has a lot on his mind and his plate lately. Not only is it crossover season, but he and his wife welcomed a baby to the family in late February. Add to that the work he’s doing to plan for CSC U’s virtual camp June 1-2 and his participation as a DEI fellow and you’ll find Colin contemplating his role and the health of the profession in great detail as we head into the spring. He answers questions about how the CSC U Committee is working to prepare the next generation of communicators.
CSC U's mission is to educate future athletics communicators. What are two key areas this committee uses to do that?
CT: The primary goal of CSC U is to give the next generation of athletic communication professionals the tools to succeed when they finally take their first steps into what we hope will be their lifelong profession. But it’s not just getting those young professionals prepared. We also want to raise awareness for the profession, and I think that’s a major key in helping keep our ranks healthy with new people and fresh ideas to move everything forward.
With the programming subcommittee of CSC U, our focus is to plan and deliver programming throughout the school year as well as for the virtual camp we host in the summer. It’s been virtual the past few years and we really think that is the best form to reach as many people as possible. Our goal is to think about what topics would be of most use to our young professionals from an informative and educational standpoint and build on those ides with webinars and panels featuring athletic communication professionals from all levels and backgrounds who can serve as guides and teachers in the process.
Explain how you are using the tools and platforms of today to reach students and teach them.
CT: Online meetings were a thing before the pandemic, but COVID really pushed things like Zoom and Teams to the forefront of communication. The “normalcy” of this software nowadays is quite frankly astonishing. Not only are full classes run through these programs, but now major companies work almost completely remote with their staff members e-commuting. All of this has allowed CSC and CSC U to take advantage of new webinars and different forms of programming to cast as wide a net as possible. CSC is also starting to utilize short-form videos on social media platforms, which is something that CSC U has been watching closely. We already have plans on how we can capitalize on that in the future.
Talk about how CSC U evolved its camp to be virtual and how that might better accommodate participants.
CT: The original idea of CSC U was awesome - get young professionals to the same site as the convention and have programming just for them as well as anything that the rest of the main event might have to offer. And it did work at first, but the pandemic made us rethink things. The move to the virtual camp is one of the best things to happen to the group, in my opinion. Not everyone had the means to travel to Washington D.C., or Orlando, or Las Vegas, or wherever the convention was. But everyone has a computer and an Internet connection these days. We can reach a number of young professionals through this new virtual form that we could have only dreamed of if the event was still in person. Not only is it possible to have more people attend, but the ease of being able to rewatch the webinars allows young professionals to learn on their own terms if they can’t make it to a scheduled session.
What advice do you have for a person in their first full-time job in athletics communications?
CT: One of the biggest pieces of advice I could give to someone who is thinking about getting into athletic communications is to never lose the desire to keep learning. As digital media becomes more prevalent, coaches, student athletes and schools want to lean into these trends as it helps not only improve the student-athlete experience, but it helps with recruiting and getting eyes on the programs/school. The times of the 800-word press release are slowly fading and even those who have been in the profession for years or decades have to learn how to evolve and make the new techniques and technology work for them and their department. That leads into one of our main goals with CSC U and that is to educate young professionals on the new things that might be impacting the profession and how they can adapt to changing times.
I would also say that you should never be afraid to ask questions or network amongst your peers. One of the biggest things that I talk about when speaking to others about athletic communications is the level of support that we get from our peers. Whether it’s from a fellow conference SID, a twitter thread, a Facebook group, or someone you have met at the convention, you will never find a tighter, more close-knit group of individuals in any profession outside of ours. Everyone is always willing to lend a hand and help you with something, whether that is scoring a game or helping you take your career to the next level.
What advice do you have for an undergraduate student who wants to pursue athletics communication as a profession?
CT: I think the number one thing to do is get as much experience as possible. Make yourself a valuable member of your school’s athletic communications department. Volunteer at conference and NCAA championships. Find internships that might help you hone your craft in whatever discipline you might want to focus on (traditional SID, digital media, broadcasting, etc.). Last but certainly not least is network. I don’t necessarily believe in the whole saying “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know,” but having resources and connections can be key in finding a graduate assistant spot or your first full-time gig.
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