College Sports Communicators

As athletic communicators and creatives at every divisional level are responsible for setting up team media days/photo days to capture a wide variety of content for their digital/social and broadcast campaigns, the webinar panelists discussed how best to create a sports media day with structure, organization and best practice suggestions to make media day planning and execution more efficient, fiscally responsible and productive.

These Media Days/Content Days/Photo Days events can include any or all of the following: headshots, video interviews, photography for promotional collateral, fun personable videos. long-form video interviews.

In addition to answering 14 questions from the attendees, the presenters gave insights and suggestions on:

- planning your budget and time and assessing the scale of the event to gauge appropriate resources needed

- how to hold a successful content day with limited budgets and resources/personnel

- types of equipment and setups to use, in terms of actual room space, backdrops, camera and video equipment and making stations for each student-athlete to go to

- how to make each teams' media day feel special and unique for them

- how to keep your collection of student-athletes engaged and energized as you work with them on content; how to ensure that they stay organized and

- types of content to collect on media days

- how to work with hesitant/shy student-athletes

- how to work with coaches and being clear on your strategies and the "why's" of setting up these sessions

- in the age of NIL, how to best distribute content from these special days to your student-athletes for their own personal branding and posting needs

- post event, best practices for the work involved to organize, catalog and disseminate the content you captured

Panelists:

- Temi Bajulaiye, America East Conference Associate Director, Creative Services & Digital Media

- Emily Dorko, Adelphi University Associate Athletic Director for External Relations/SWA

- Imry Halevi, Harvard University Senior Associate Director of Athletics - Content & Strategic Communications

- Tyson Hutchins, BYU Associate Athletic Director for Creative Strategy

Moderator:

- Cobe Wastler, Air Force Academy Director of Digital Strategy

During this webinar, Adobe specialists Donna Caldwell and Eric Rowse held a discussion on all-things Adobe Express and some of the newest additions to the software and answered audience questions.

For those who attended CSCUNITE24 convention in Las Vegas, both Donna and Eric were popular presenters throughout the four-day event, holding numerous Adobe workshops and office hours where they worked directly with CSC attendees on projects and helped with specific questions.

This webinar focused on the tools within Adobe Express that will assist CSC members and our colleagues in creating brand-worthy content with production shortcuts and time-saving techniques. There are tips and advice for all, regardless of your level of experience with the cloud-based design and content creation platform. One main theme of the session was to help CSC members improve their productivity when creating graphics, web pages, videos and other digital assets.

Topics included: Using the Adobe Express tool of lockable template fields; setting up "bulk create" templates for asset creation; working with Firefly Gen AI styles in making brand-approved assets.

Presenters:

- Donna Caldwell, Adobe Principal Solutions Consultant

- Eric Rowse, Adobe Senior Solutions Consultant

Moderator:

- Patrick Murphy, Colorado School of Mines Athletic Communications Coordinator/CSC Creative and Digital Design Contest Committee chair

This was the first in the CSC "Athletic Communications Building, Developing and Empowering Your Staff Live Webinar Series" presented during the 2024-25 academic year.

The presenters discussed how to go about identifying, hiring, developing and empowering a student staff, in this time of shortened staffs and the need to cover numerous game day events and office management duties.

They gave tips and strategies to bolster your office staff and office content production. This included: how to identify potential student workers on your campus; using Google docs, excels, calendars and GroupMe software to organize the students' schedules and organize their work flows; how to ID the best students for the diversity of assignments, and training for those assignments.

They also discussed the importance of mentoring student workers and giving them opportunities to network and enhance their skills sets. Each panelist emphasized talking to student assistants about the "why" of their jobs and to help them understand how their contributions are making a difference in your athletic organization, and how their student worker skills and experiences will benefit them career-wise.

Presenters:

- Alex Gutierrez, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) Assistant Sports Information Director @AGutierrez_WPI

- Bryant Gray, College of Coastal Georgia Director of Athletic Communications @BGray25WE

- Emilia Frizzi, The Ohio State University Assistant Director of Athletic Communications @emilia_frizzi

Moderator/Presenter:

- Adam Ledyard, East Texas Baptist University Assistant Athletic Director for Communications @adam_ledyard

In the first NAIA-SIDA Spotlight of 2024-25, Assistant AD/SID Rachel Moore of Central Methodist University visited with Lindsey Branch of Montana Western. Lindsey discussed making the jump from high school coaching to Sports Information and her election to the NAIA SIDA Board as an at-large representative!

In the final edition of the NAIA SIDA Spotlight Series for 2023-24, Rachel Moore visited with NAIA SIDA President and CSC College Division Representative, Donnie Smith, on his background and current work at Southeastern University and what attendees can expect at #CSCUnite24 this coming June in Las Vegas.

Join Allison Hogue and Matt Nelson as they discuss what it's like to be autistic/neurodivergent in the collegiate athletic communications workplace. The podcast is in conjunction with Autism Acceptance Month and is divided into 2 parts.

Hosts:

-Allison Hogue - Assistant Director of Athletics Communications at University of the Pacific

-Matt Nelson - Public Address Announcer for a variety of College Athletics Teams in the Greater New York/New Jersey area.

Join A.J. O'Hagan, Alan Wiederhold-Sohn, Mike Pugliese, and Matt Nelson as they discuss what it's like to be autistic/neurodivergent in the collegiate athletic communications workplace. The podcast is in conjunction with Autism Acceptance Month and is divided into 2 parts.

Panelists: 

-A.J. O'Hagan - Sports Information Director at Monroe College - Bronx

-Alan Wiederhold-Sohn - Sports Information Director at Huston-Tillotson University

-Mike Pugliese - Former Sports Information Director and Current Freelancer in College Athletics

-Matt Nelson (moderator) - Public Address Announcer for a variety of College Athletics Teams in the Greater New York/New Jersey area.

Starting the Journey

Tips and tricks to get into the field and land the job

This webinar was geared toward new and young professionals and student interested in the athletic communications profession.

The discussion revolved around strategies, tips and tricks for landing your first job in the profession or moving up to the next one on your athletic communications journey. In collaboration with the CSC U, CSC Career Services and Young Professionals committees, the presenters talked about:

-Beginning the search: What to look for when you’re looking?

-What online job boards should you look at?

-How to build your skill set

-Why networking is essential to get ahead and be recognized

-The importance of gaining experience and volunteering in the field

-Do you need a graduate degree/graduate assist-ship to gain the competitive advantage in the field - or not?

-Resume-building strategies and tips: How to shape your resume and make it stand out; how to prepare a portfolio of your best work

-Best way to provide your writing samples to potential employees

-Pre-interview techniques: how to educate yourself on the place you are trying to work at

-Do's and don't before and after interviewing

-Handling a Zoom interview and in-person interviews: what to wear. how to carry yourself in both virtual and in person settings, and how to come prepared with questions to ask

Panelists:

Cole Helman - Palm Beach Atlantic Director of Athletic Communications/ Young Professionals Committee member

Shelby Hild - Missouri Valley Conference Assistant Commissioner for Communications (formerly Baylor University Director of Athletic Communications)/ chair of the CSC Career Services Committee

Meredith Mahoney - Illinois Wesleyan Athletic Communications Graduate Assistant

Moderator:

Colin Terrill - University of Chicago Director of Sports Information and Promotions/CSC U Committee member

Join Alex Jewell, Katie Gonzales, and Chad Cooper as they dive into the topic of affinity/Heritage months. Together, the three will start an open discussion about these months and how they fit within an athletic department. The trio will discuss the importance of these months but will also dive into how to properly establish them at your respective institutions, and how to ensure the celebration of our diversity goes far beyond a standard 30-day calendar.

Hosts:

Alex Jewell - Director of Athletic Development, University of Wyoming

Katie Gonzales - Assistant AD for Athletic Communications, Illinois Wesleyan University

Chad Cooper - Strategic Communications Director, Temple University

CSC Diversity & Inclusion Committee’s Travis Jarome (Jackson State) and Scottie Rodgers (Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic) sit down with Dr. Jen Fry (she/her) to talk about discuss the state of diversity, equity and inclusion in our society today, especially as it relates to the world of college athletics.

Dr. Fry is one of the leading voices in the DEI space and owner of Jen Fry Talks, a social justice education firm that explores the intersection of conflict and DEI.

This critical conversation explores a myriad of topics from the decisions and rulings that are affecting DEI to evolving approaches to better address and manage DEI in the workplace.

Dr. Jen Fry: https://jenfrytalks.com/