College Sports Information Directors of America

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• CSC Women to Watch Feature Archive
• View the 2017 CoSIDA Member Profile on Sarah Kirkpatrick

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CSC Women to Watch
Sarah Kirkpatrick Ryan
College of the Holy Cross Assistant Director of Athletics / Strategic Communications

by Alivia Dieterlen, CSC Assistant Director of Communications and Creative Content

Sarah Kirkpatrick Ryan has this month’s CSC Women to Watch spotlight! With nearly nine years of experience in college athletic communications, she currently serves as the Assistant Director of Athletics for Strategic Communications at the College of the Holy Cross.
 
Kirkpatrick Ryan is a member of the CSC Inclusion Committee and was selected for the 2022 Diversity & Inclusion Fellowship. She is also an acclaimed writer, earning four district awards and one national award in the 2023-24 Fred Stabley Sr. Writing Contest, as well as three district awards and two national runner-up titles in 2024-25.
 
A Boston University journalism graduate (‘16), she began her career coordinating athletic communications at American International College before making her mark at Holy Cross.
 
Could you share what first inspired you to pursue a career in college sports communications? How has your time at Holy Cross shaped this?
SKR: Throughout my time as a student at Boston University, I had every intention of becoming a sports writer, and I spent my four years working toward this — I was heavily involved at my student newspaper, and interned for multiple newspapers and blogs. It wasn’t until late in my final semester of college that I began to think outside that framework. While I clearly loved writing and storytelling, I wasn’t sure I wanted that to be the only thing I did in my career. I always loved the idea of being part of the team and celebrating the successes of athletes, and I’ve always been drawn to helping others.
 
I took notice of BU’s SIDs (three of whom — Brian Kelley, Kevin Edelson and Scott Ellis — are still there today and are important resources and trusted friends for me a decade later). Not only did I have a tremendous amount of respect for their work, but I also was consistently grateful for their willingness to provide a helping hand. They balanced all of the demands of the career in a professional, creative and thoughtful manner. In my eyes, they set the standard of what college sports information should be, and I owe my career to them in so many ways — they set such a great example!
 
Even though I had no actual sports info experience coming out of college, I took a leap of faith and was fortunate to be hired at American International College. Between my time there, and now almost seven years at Holy Cross, I think it’s fair to say that my initial hunch — that being an SID could be a good fit — was spot on. I feel fortunate that I get to use my strengths as a natural storyteller and communicator to make a difference, no matter how small, in someone’s day. I get to try something new every day, and I get to consistently celebrate with some of the best people ever. I’ve been fortunate enough to work with NFL, MLB and WNBA draft picks, All-Americans, championship teams and more — and there’s absolutely no feeling like watching someone you met as a freshman cross the stage at graduation four years later.

We first profiled you back in 2017 while you were in your first full-time SID position at American International College. What since then has changed? Personally or professionally?
SKR: A lot has changed! On the personal side, I’m married now! My now-husband, Conor, and I have been fortunate that despite both having demanding careers in sports media, we’ve been able to live in Massachusetts the whole time. After we both graduated from BU, he worked in Springfield at the same time that I worked at AIC, and we moved back east toward Boston around the same time as well. We’ve been able to pursue our dreams and flourish in our careers together, and we don’t take that for granted. Now, Conor is a sports writer for the Boston Globe and Boston.com, primarily covering the Boston Bruins. Having a partner that works in sports, who thoroughly understands the emotions of it all and the time and energy required — and who can help proofread a caption or a story after a long day! — has without question been the most critical element of our shared success.
 
Professionally — I can point to so many things that have changed. Of course, the profession itself has changed completely. I will always be a strong advocate for traditional sports information, but all the while, my skillset has broadened to keep up with the pace of collegiate athletics.
 
I think that anyone who was an SID during the pandemic would agree that it was a major turning point in how we all approach our work. What worked eight years ago — or even eight days or eight minutes ago! — might not work now, and I’ve grown increasingly more comfortable adapting on the fly.
 
Your advice to your younger self in 2017 consisted of: 1) You won’t always be perfect, and that’s okay. 2) Don’t say “sorry” for everything. 3) Take care of your mental and physical wellbeing…What advice would you give to yourself eight years ago? Would it be different?
SKR: I’d probably go a little bit more nuanced than that now! “You won’t always be perfect” and “don’t say sorry for everything” are both simple and valuable reminders I give myself regularly, but being real…I think there are also times I find myself challenging both of those sentiments. It is still okay to have high standards for your work, and to expect the same of others around you. And there is a lot of power in wearing your mistakes, holding yourself accountable and accepting responsibility when things go wrong. In all instances, if you can learn from it and be better the next time, you’ll be just fine.

In that same vein, what advice would you offer to other women entering, or looking to enter, the field of athletic communications?
SKR: Know whose opinions matter. Look to experienced colleagues to help guide your standard of what you should be doing, and tune out the extra noise. That’s easier said than done, of course (let’s be honest, I’ll still stew over the occasional Internet comment or mansplaining), but remember that your time and energy is much better spent on the people who are doing the work with you.
 
I’ve been overwhelmingly fortunate to have worked with programs where I have felt completely respected, safe and valued, and to have had supervisors who advocate for me. I don’t overlook the difference that has made in my career. For young women in the profession: make connections, share your experiences with others and learn about others’ experiences as well to help shape your perspective. And above all, trust your gut. If something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t. Stay close to those who appreciate and respect you, and if you don’t feel that you’re in a comfortable situation, it’s okay to explore other opportunities. As long as you’re a good person, and you do the work well, you’ll find a place that you belong.
   
You’re an award winning writer…What has been your favorite story to write about?
SKR: There are so many stories that have been meaningful to me. Some of the profiles that stand out as especially meaningful, just to name a few: a linebacker after his return from a season-ending elbow injury, our first-year football coach and his road to Holy Cross, a safety who lost his father midseason, a shortstop who turned to baseball after unbelievable tragedy. All of these features required a significant level of trust from the subject  — not only to share their story with me, but also to allow me to help share that story with our audience. I consider it the greatest privilege to be trusted that way, and as such, I treat every story with the utmost care and compassion.

What has been your biggest challenge working in college sports communications? How have you worked to overcome that?
SKR: I alluded to it earlier, but for as much as I love the assortment of adventures that this job provides — it can be sometimes challenging to juggle all of the demands, especially as the profession continues to evolve rapidly. I don’t know that I’ve actively changed anything specifically to overcome that, but time and experience have helped the most — “weather-tested” might be one way of framing it, but the more that I’ve experienced, both good and bad, I’d say I’m a lot calmer and more solutions-oriented than when I first started out as an SID. 

Looking ahead, what are your goals or aspirations for your continued work in athletics communications?
SKR: My primary goal has always been the same: to capture incredible stories and build an enriching student-athlete experience. As long as I’m able to do that, I’ll be more than happy.
 
Quick Hitters with Sarah:
Favorite game-day tradition: I don’t have many! The only one I can really think of is that I drink a Celsius before every football game. And if I have a home game, I’ll always walk a full lap under the stadium at halftime to drop off stats and shake off my nerves.

Your walk-up song: Problemz by Jungle

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?: Botswana or South Africa are next on my bucket list! My husband and I went on a safari in Tanzania as part of our honeymoon — it was the best experience of my life and I can’t wait to go on another. We are also in the process of planning a trip to Japan and Thailand next summer.

What is something most people don't know about you?: I collect cookbooks — I own more than 120!

Favorite sport to cover: It’s hard to pick a favorite! I love working with football, but baseball and track and field also hold special places in my heart.

Hobbies outside of work: Traveling any chance that I get! I also love trying restaurants and breweries in or near Boston, or in any city I’m visiting.

Most used emoji: Probably the salute , followed closely by the purple heart  and the hand heart