2024 CSC U Summit

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2024 CSC U Summit
Dates: Tuesday and Wednesday, June 4-5, 2024
Location: Zoom
Cost: Free to all
Intended audience: Young professionals (in years 1-3), undergraduate and graduate students, interns, and those wanting to explore more about the profession


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Returning for another year but with a new name, the popular CSC U Summit is a free two-day event for emerging athletic communications professionals, young professionals (in years 1-3), undergraduate and graduate students, interns, and those wanting to explore more about the profession.

There will be two sessions on June 4 and two sessions on June 5 as listed below. This Summit takes place virtually on Zoom both days.

NEW THIS YEAR! The final session will be a networking breakout session with four breakout rooms. Each breakout room will have 1-2 veteran athletic communicators who can answer questions from the attendees. Bring your topics and your questions, attendees!

The summit is hosted by the CSC U Committee, which is responsible for educating college students in the field of sports communications. In addition, it assists educators in learning about the profession for potential speaking opportunities from the sports communications professional on campus. The CSC U motto is to "educate educators" and "find our future." 


Schedule of events

Session 1: Tuesday, June 4, 1:00 PM (ET)
Words always matter — tips to enhance your writing skills

No matter your job title or level, writing is one of the most important skills to have in the athletic communications profession. From game recaps to season previews to features to social posts, these stories help tell the tales of your student-athletes careers, inform the fanbase, and add background to the brand that you are building. Some of the topics to be covered during this session include: 

  • How to find your voice in writing
  • How to adapt your styles to a new department or school
  • How to best utilize your time while writing effectively 


Panelists: 
Kristen Keller – UC Santa Barbara, Associate Athletic Director for Communications and Digital Strategy // CSC 30-Under-30 Award recipient
David Kiefer – Stanford University, Executive Editorial Producer
Don Stoner – Augsburg University Sports Information Director
Moderator Eric McDowell – CSC Past President

Watch on-demand:

Session 2: Tuesday, June 4, 3:30 PM (ET)
Building your confidence and setting your professional boundaries

Starting off in a new profession can be daunting and the athletic communications realm is no different. Every school and department presents its own unique set of challenges, co-workers and coaches. In this session we will focus on how to build confidence in yourself and your work while also setting boundaries both personally and professionally. Some of the topics will include: 

  • How to build solid relationships with coaches and administrators
  • How to understand strategies and prioritize requests, some of which may seem daunting in the time available
  • How to set boundaries with student-athletes who may be around your age
  • How to have faith in your work and stay open to new ideas or critique


Panelists: 
Sydney Anderson – Washington & Lee, Director of Athletic Communications
Shawn Medeiros – Endicott, Director of Sports Information
Marisa Lombardo – Alvernia, Director of Sports Information and Operations
Moderator Lynn Walsh – Charleston, Director of Athletics Communications and Creative Content

Watch on-demand:

Session 3: Wednesday, June 5, 1:00 PM (ET)
Expanding your game — tips for learning new sports

One challenge as a new or young sports communications professional is responsibilities in covering and promoting a sport that you might not be familiar with. Each school at every level has its own unique roster of sports that it offers. In this session to begin day two, we will cover how to learn sports that may be foreign to you and give you the skills to allow you to pick up the abilities to do so effectively and successfully. You won't immediately gravitate to the "flashy," high-profile sports.

Join this session to learn strategies, tips and how-to's to prepare, plan and executive publicity, statistics and game management duties for sports you might not be familiar with and up your confidence in being the communications coordinator for those sports.

Topics include:

  • How to effectively learn the new rulebooks and statistical manuals and where to find this information
  • The importance of asking questions of coaches and student athletes of new sports that you are covering. 
  • The importance of practice. practice. practice. 


Panelists:
Mike Prang – Adrian, Sports Information Director
Sam Boyle – Carthage, Director of Strategic Communications
Sebastian Bush – The City College of New York, Assistant Director of Athletics for Communications & Sports Information
Moderator Colin Terrill – University of Chicago, Director of Sports Information and Promotions

Watch on-demand:

Session 4: Wednesday, June 5, 3:30 PM (ET)
This is a relationship business: your networking session (breakout sessions)

Webinar link: https://cscommunicators.zoom.us/j/88257205333?pwd=ZUk2dE5tK0NxYm9kai95Sy93dU1KQT09

In a CSC U Summit first, we will open up the discussion to you! Members of the CSC U Committee will be on hand to pilot interactive networking sessions where you get to ask the questions and talk about the topics that are important to you. We encourage open discussions with both the room leaders and fellow attendees to get the most out of this exciting final session to the CSC U Summit!

Moderator/Room Leader 1: Ashley Robbins – UMass Lowell, Associate Athletic Director for Communications & Creative Content
Room Leader 2: JD Campbell – CSC Executive Board of Directors At-Large Representative
Room Leader 3: Keonte Herrera – LSU, Assistant Communications Director
Room Leader 4: Sammi Wellman – Riverside City College, Director of Sports Information