< Previous8 | the office, connect with staff, have off-hand hilarious conversations about everything. I really miss the lunches with my staff.” How are you coping ? Browning: “If there’s one thing this business teaches you, it’s how to handle adversity. We are adept at working through issues and solving problems. Coping with the current crisis has meant making adjustments — not turning my life upside down and allowing the virus to define it. Creating a consistent daily routine of work, exercise and family time has helped offset the mental challenge.” Cassell: “It was tough at first because in 22 years, I have had my schedule set by our teams’ events and our sons’ sports schedules. It was difficult to walk downstairs to start working and finding the right groove not only for myself and wife, but for the boys and their online schooling needs.” Kenny Klein, Louisville: “I’ve missed personal interactions and national events in which I see friends, but my time has been filled with virtual meetings, preparations and trying to offer coaches, staff and student-athletes to our local media through regular virtual press conferences. My concern is is a senior professor at Washburn and we have two boys in high school. All four of us being home at once was a big change. But, it was good to slow down, have dinners at the table and work in the same area.” Denise Thompson, Big Sky Conference: “It has impacted me in terms of travel. I would have gone on vacation, visited friends and family on the East Coast, and attended athletic events. While that may not seem like a big deal, my spring schedule revolves solely on travel from January through June almost nonstop.” Jolisa Williams, Shaw: “Working from home has been different. With no sports, it has been a challenge finding content to keep our fan base engaged. I’ve been trying to stay busy by gathering records, updating staff bios and preparing for spring if our fall sports are moved.” Jayson Ameer Rasheed, Lincoln: “As an introvert, this has impacted the way I socialize with friends and family. It has given me a reason to stay home and not be criticized for it. Once live sports returned, I was okay.” Charles O’Brien, Stevens: “It’s forced me to be more intentional about almost everything. From a work standpoint, we had to create a clear content strategy unlike anything we’ve done and to be purposeful in our communication with coaches and student-athletes. I’ve been more intentional about being better and consistently reaching out to friends, family and colleagues because face-to- face visits are just not taking place.” Steve Fink, South Carolina: “I’ve been impacted the most in staying connected to my staff, other athletics department administrators, the coaches, the student-athletes and media. While emails, text messages and Zoom calls all have their place, there is no substitute for face-to-face interaction. I like the people I work with and miss the camaraderie, being able to regularly bounce thoughts and ideas off each other, and the conversations that occur organically, not just about work, but about other things as well.” Donna Turner, Northern Illinois: “The biggest impact has definitely been at work, being unable to go to mostly with staff members that are the victims of reductions or furloughs, and related to the “what-ifs” of what’s ahead of us.” Thompson: “I’m getting better, but it hasn’t been sunshine and rainbows. I have cried myself to sleep and been a zombie throughout the day at times. It has been a mixture of the unbelievable added workload, social injustice, living alone and across the country from family, and trying to show a good front. Allowing myself to focus on the positive things has helped me to smile more often.” David Plati, Colorado: “I have two escapes: I’ll go for an hour drive late at night or at dawn, and I spend at least one hour almost every day calling up songs on YouTube and having my own private concert. The neighbors have yet to complain about my singing.” Rasheed: “I think mentally, I’m doing okay. I really missed live sports, but I’ve enjoyed time with family.” Stayson Isobe, Northern Arizona: “While it’s been a struggle, I’ve made it a priority to focus on the positives. It’s easy to get wrapped up in the uncertainty, and the moments of getting overwhelmed are often when I’m focusing on the what-ifs. It’s then I shift my focus to what’s important — that myself, my family, my friends, my staff and our student-athletes are safe and COVID-19 Pandemic Joe Browning (second from left) and his colleagues at at UNC Wilmington illustrate what a typical meeting looks like with face masks and social distancing.CoSIDA 360 | SEPTEMBER 2020 | 9 done it without them.” Plati: “I have now seen all 456 episodes of Law & Order, and in most cases, two or three times. I feel very close to the late Jerry Orbach.” Williams: “My biggest personal success has been building a better relationship with God.” Rasheed: “My personal successes are two-fold: I was able to read two books and land a new job — Assistant Athletic Director for Communications and Marketing at Lincoln University.” Isobe: “I’ve faced challenges as a content creator. One of my initiatives was to enhance our engagement with our alumni. With Zoom as a primary means of communication, I thought what better time than now to reconnect with former student-athletes. I developed a flashback video series with the help of my assistant director, Cody Bashore.” Fink: “My daughter got married in July and I was able to get her down the aisle without crying like a baby. There was a lot of stress and anxiety over if we should go through with it. We thought that by July the virus would be minimized. Changing the date was problematic, so we decided to go on with the event. We had to change venues as the church was closed, lost a couple of bridesmaids, a groomsman and the number of attendees was about 60 percent of what we had initially projected, but we pulled it off, had a memorable event and thankfully, no one got sick! It turned out to be one of the best days of my life.” Turner: “Finally getting to the salon after six months — ha ha! Seriously though, just overall proud of how I’ve powered through everything while keeping a mainly even keel and rolling with it.” healthy. Right now, that’s all we can control.” Donnie Smith, Southeastern: “There have been a lot of ebbs and flows. Thankfully, I have many people to connect with and talk about life. That has helped me keep a positive attitude when I’m down.” Fink: “I try to get in a run most every day and I use that as a stress reliever which helps me cope. However, I had my knee scoped in May, so I have been relegated to walking every morning. It’s not quite the same, but it gives me time to gather my thoughts, reflect and give thanks for all the good things in life.” Turner: “Trying to keep a routine and especially make time for myself whether it’s trying to cook/bake new things, getting out for a daily walk, discovering new YouTube channels, shows to binge or finding new mini-ways to pass the time at home.” What is your biggest personal success story during these months of disruption ? Browning: “I’ve become closer to my family and completed several household projects. With restaurants and theaters shuttered, we’ve spent more quality time together. I painted the exterior of our home and added magic to my repertoire. I’ve always been intrigued by it and purchased a beginner’s magician kit that raised money for COVID-19 relief.” Thompson: “I produced my first Football Virtual Kickoff. It was a project that made me want to cry while piecing together and also when it aired. It allowed me to use my knowledge to create a high quality two-day broadcast. My staff played an important role in it coming together and I couldn’t have COVID-19 Pandemic Steve Fink of South Carolina says the opportunity to walk his daughter down the aisle was one of the best days of his life in what has otherwise been a difficult summer. For 22 years, Gene Cassell’s schedule has been set by Washburn athletic events or his sons’ sports schedules. He admits there have been days when it’s tough getting in the groove for he and his wife’s work, and the boys’ online schooling needs. “College communicators are the most important people on campuses during this pandemic because institutions will risk really harmful long-term effects if its stories go dark.” Josh Cornwall Charles O’Brien and his wife at the Shawangunk Mountains in New York’s Hudson Valley.10 | roles are turning into “digital content producers” in order to keep up on social media with the schools/conferences that actually have people in that role.” Williams: “My personal safety and also, if our conference and my institution decides to move forward with fall sports in the spring. What will that look like for me considering I am a one-person shop? How will we abide by the safety concerns of social distancing and ensuring that my student workers and myself are safe during events?” Rasheed: “Returning to a post COVID-19 world. While they are working toward a vaccine, it will probably be several years before a vast majority of people will be comfortable with it.” O’Brien: “I have a couple of concerns. The obvious one is putting our safety in the hands of 18-22 year olds. The decision to move fall sports to spring, while understandable, seems to be moving ahead without the input of communication professionals to discuss points like schedule spacing, overlapping events and so on. Speaking for myself, I can’t wait for that work to resume, but there comes a point, where it’s not physically possible to do certain things. The only way to deal with that is to continue to be at the planning table. What are your major concerns going forward ? Browning: “I’m proud of the way our staff and administration has prepared for the beginning of classes. We’ve spent the summer formulating a back-to- school plan to ensure a safe, healthy environment for our student-athletes.” Cassell: “I think the unknown. Conferences and all divisions are making decisions and some of those are dependent on the COVID-19 numbers. We’re making plans on “if this happens, then we do this” and “if that happens, we’ll do that” but it’s all fluid and they have to be able to be adjusted.” Klein: “The unknown is the most difficult for which to prepare. So much of what we do is based around schedules for our sports and those remain fluid. Covering condensed schedules in the fall would be fine, but overlaying fall sports on top of spring sports would dramatically change what we are able to do with logistical nightmares. It would be like the November fall/winter and March winter/spring overlap periods on steroids.” Thompson: “SIDs are being asked to go beyond their job description to create content some don’t have the experience to do. My concern is that people’s Without fall sports, and the potential loss of spring seasons, I’m fearful some will think we are expendable.” Fink: “The biggest concern is what happens if we don’t play sports for the foreseeable future? Since that’s out of our control, I think one of the bigger concerns is how we accommodate the media, knowing that their face-to-face interaction with the student-athletes and coaches will most likely be non-existent. How will we efficiently and effectively use technology to provide weekly media availabilities, post-game pressers, pool photography and videography, etc., to give the media the opportunity to cover our team while maintaining the safety protocols?” Turner: “Keeping my staff intact and trying to keep my office involved with every aspect we can to show how valuable we are. Making sure I’m involved in communication plans.” What would you have done differently in March knowing what you know now ? Browning: “We’ve managed the events of the last five months fairly well. My only regret is not doing more for COVID-19 Pandemic “The hardest part of this pandemic was during a three-week stretch when I may or may not have had COVID-19.” The last few months have offered their fair share of challenges. My wife and I were a few weeks removed from finding out we were pregnant with our second child when the world got crazy in early March. At that time, we obviously didn’t know what the summer would look like or that we would be still in a pandemic in September, welcoming a child. As many can relate, both of us working from home with a suddenly-bored toddler was less than ideal and we’ve each had to make sacrifices in productivity to maintain a positive home environment. We established priorities and took the position that some things are more important than writing another story. The hardest part of this pandemic was during a three-week stretch when I may or may not have had COVID-19. Looking back on it, all of the signs were there but because the situation was still so raw and evolving it was never confirmed. Testing in Atlanta was really hard to come by at that point and mostly reserved for those who were already in poor health. For a man in his early 30s, getting a test for symptoms that didn’t necessarily require hospitalization was nearly impossible. Mentally, it’s been an ebb-and-flow situation. When I was sick Personally by Josh Cornwall | Agnes Scott College Assistant AD for Communications | CoSIDA 360 | SEPTEMBER 2020 | 11 Plati: “Not knowing when we’d return to work, I would have planned a 3- or 4-day getaway in advance that involved my golf clubs.” Williams: “I wouldn’t have done anything differently in March considering what I know now. I have been social distancing and wearing masks when out in public.” Rasheed: “I am not sure if I would have done anything different. I just tried to attack each day like a new one, work on projects that I would normally take a couple summers to complete. This just our graduating student-athletes last May. We recognized them in several ways, but they missed out on much of the conventional fanfare in the matriculation process.” Klein: “Since we all use laptops and are on the road frequently, we were well prepared for working remotely. Most have stepped up their knowledge of Zoom, Microsoft Teams and other virtual platforms that we may not have used as much previously but will likely be using more moving forward, even after the pandemic passes.” COVID-19 Pandemic I was worried about everything and everyone but me. I think that’s a pretty natural reaction. I’d be lying if I said I was doing okay during those few weeks though. I’ve dealt with anxiety issues in recent years stemming from some tumultuous times at work, but I’ve been able to connect with others pretty routinely during this time. Everyone is adjusting differently, but even those with the strongest mental fortitude could use a break from this bizarre reality. Finding someone you can talk to is important, especially now. It took about two and a half months to physically feel like myself again, but I was really anxious to return to work once the symptoms started to fade. I only had a few days to process spring cancelations before I got sick, so I used mid-to-late April to finally tell stories about our student-athletes. It was an emotional process for all involved, but it gained us a lot of local attention that’s normally reserved for bigger programs. I think it was cathartic for our students and staff to get those stories out there. Looking toward the future, I’m worried about my colleagues and the industry. I often speak to and sometimes even challenge decision-makers about the importance of communications. We’ve seen a troubling trend of institutions making rash decisions in regards to their athletic communications staffs and I wish I could get in front of more people to show them why they need to be more strategic. College communicators are the most important people on campuses during this pandemic because institutions will risk really harmful long-term effects if its stories go dark. I would have been more cautious in my approach to in-person interactions if I could start over. In terms of work, I would have been more diligent in making sure those final home games were special. I want to encourage everyone not to worry, but we all know that’s impossible. It’s an unprecedented time. What I would advise is to use this time to find a way for a healthy separation of work from your personal identity. Because so many of us are extremely passionate about this profession it’s usually one of the first things that come up in conversation. The term SID becomes interwoven into our identity. But if I’ve learned anything during this time it’s that my job has nothing to do with my personal worth. At the end of the day, it’s something that I do and not who I am. Jolisa Williams of Shaw says her biggest concern moving forward is for her personal safety and the safety of her student workers. QUICK POLL How would you describe how you’ve managed your personal well-being the last several months? Three most-popular responses: 38% I’m making the most of it. 35% I just want things to go back to normal. 7% I’m stressed and having a hard time. “It’s been a challenge. I prefer being in the office where I have more information and resources to work with. The lack of social interaction brought on by the pandemic has created some isolation and I don’t find that especially healthy. It’s great to not be exposed to the virus — not so great to be isolated.’ - Pete Moore, Syracuse Hall of Famer David Plati says if you have children, embrace this opportunity to spend more time with them.12 | Take care of yourself and your family. We’ve all got personal challenges, but we’ll eventually get through it all.” Thompson: “Just because we can’t predict the future, doesn’t mean we can’t do our best to plan for it the best way we know how.” Plati: “Though this doesn’t apply to me, in our business we spend so much time away from our families. For those with children, embrace this opportunity to spend more time with them. Growing up, we all would have loved to have had more time with whichever parent was always working to support us.” Williams: “Stay positive, continue to be uplifted by friends, loved ones and family — and pray!” Rasheed: “Be flexible. In times when things can change on a regular basis, be willing and able to adapt.” Isobe: “I know the thing we are stressing as a department is making sure that our communication within our department is strong. We want to be prepared when we return to normal and the only way to do that is to forge ahead. Relationships are more important than ever, not only within your department, but within CoSIDA because the pandemic is affecting us all.” Smith: “Embrace the grind. Ask for help. We will get through this year.” O’Brien: “We will all get through this. Working through these challenging times will make our profession stronger and make us stronger professionals!” Fink: “Take care of yourself. Enjoy being with your families, which is rare in our industry. Keep the faith that there is a higher power in control. Try not to sped up the process.” O’Brien: “I would have taken a little more work home with me. I brought plenty with me, but I would have added things like my streaming computer to work on lower thirds and so on. We were a little more on the reactionary side of things, so I would have planned out our content strategies out a little longer, considering we will be without sports in the fall.” Fink: “I probably would have taken advantage of stay-cation opportunities when things were slower in April or May. I’m an optimist by nature and kept thinking things would get better, the numbers would go down, and we would be almost normal by now. While I took a little time off, there were still a lot of things that came up and, as we all know, we’re on call 24-7.” Turner: “Probably would have taken on a “bigger” more ambitious project — like starting on that book I’ve been thinking of writing or archiving my entire personal photo library.” What is the best advice you have for others in CoSIDA as we continue to move forward ? Browning: “The key word that CoSIDA members hang their hat on — adaptability. No one knows what the next day, or months, will bring. We must be ready to meet the next challenge head-on and be campus leaders. We can demonstrate our value by working through problems and offering strong solutions to make our departments and universities better.” Cassell: “SIDs by any name have always been ones who can adapt on the fly. There is uncertainty in college athletics and the rest of the country, but we continue to be the amazing group of people with the ability to react and mold ourselves and change as the day-to-day ‘normal’ changes to something new seemingly every day.” Klein: “Take it as it comes and don’t be discouraged when plans go awry. It’s happened all spring and summer, and will likely continue for many months longer. Focus on what you can control. stress over things out of your control. And for any CoSIDA member who has a daughter — start saving now!” Turner: “I think just hang in there. Take care of yourself first and do everything you can to stay in touch with people — from your colleagues and coworkers to coaches and more.” Any other thoughts you like to share ? Browning: “The last few months have been unlike any other in my 40 years in the business. I’ve witnessed colleagues losing their jobs, individuals being furloughed and entire staffs being restructured or let go. It just shows how fragile life can be sometimes. Throughout it all, though, we’ve had each other to lean on, and I’m grateful for the many friends in this profession who continue to reach out as we search for a way to get back to normalcy.” Isobe: “Stay positive! We’ll all get through this and we’ll emerge better individuals and professionals because of the circumstances we overcame.” Turner: “We in this business are uniquely prepared for situations like this. Part of the reason we get into athletics is because no year, no day, are the same — at least that’s what’s kept me engaged for all these years. This is certainly one for the books but no one is having a ‘normal’ year. Also remember, our lives are disrupted, but we’re not on the “front lines,” we’re not saving lives and I hope and pray, everyone and their families are safe and healthy.” COVID-19 Pandemic Denise Thompson and the staff at the Big Sky Conference produced the 2020 Big Sky Football Virtual Kickoff.CoSIDA 360 | SEPTEMBER 2020 | 13 basketball. Football is in development with select schools participating. Veterans and others who can be valuable resources for stats coverage in the spring can take the time now to gain experience in the NCAA LiveStats offerings. • Finances. Now that you have your schedules, put together payment plans for outside people so you can alert your supervisor now of the funds you HAVE TO HAVE to serve your students, coaches, media, fans, and institution. Your supervisor will be impressed and pleased that you are on top of this, instead of coming in trying to find loose change in the couch on March 15. • And what if…you do not have accurate statistics kept for the numerous events that will come at you next spring? It is imperative that you stress the importance of this coverage. Compliance is a key issue. The statistics that are provided to the national organization determine eligibility. Inaccurate statistics could cost eligibility, for example when a player wearing “9” was entered as “8” and 8 did not dress or did not appear. As is the case with officials, experienced professional statisticians must be compensated. So...major points...schedules… long days at venues…do not bury your students with events…get those funds to find experienced people to come in and keep you afloat through these rough waters. Keep these things in mind and start on them now, and believe it or not, those waters will be much calmer and you will be much calmer as well! Set aside time to take care of yourself when you can. After all, before you know it, it will be spring! It’s now September, and yet here I am writing about the spring. As the immortal CoSIDA Hall of Famer Roy Pickerill would say, “what are you thinking???” Here’s why you need to think about the spring as well. Now, as the fall sports get postponed, and in many cases will head to the spring...don’t panic and don’t wait to address what will be the busiest season in our profession’s history! NOW is the time for you to look over all of your events and think about how you will cover them...multiple home on top of multiple home, and those away events that still must be addressed just as quickly and timely as ever. Consider: • Get the most up-to-date spring schedules you can get, now. There will be changes but at least get your hands on what is available to put your master calendar together. This includes winter sports since some “spring” sports open in February, when, last I checked, is still winter weather-wise. • See what traditional fall sports are going to bring to the spring. The good news is that with shared facilities, you can have things set up at one site for the day. You may be looking at what the NBA and NHL is currently doing...games at 10 a.m., 1 p.m., 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Plan on getting that fridge stocked, and a salad or sandwich can do a better job than the same ol’ pizza heated up three times. (Not that any of us ever had to do that...). Can anyone say, “trade for an ad?” • Find the people. You may be a one- person shop, you may have a staff, you may have interns. Remember, interns have required limited hours and you Spring Will Have Sprung Before You Know It by Eric McDowell | CoSIDA Past President do not want to use those hours all up in one or two days. Students should not do more than two events in a day. You still have work for people to do and hours to consume during the non-event days. So, where do you find people... • Retired sports communications professionals and people in your area who may have left the profession still know the basics about statistical software. These people will be life savers. They can do stats at your home events and update your away event stories from their home. It may seem far off, but do not wait until January when events may be returning to try to find these people. SID time flies, and before you know it, late February will creep up behind you, and then, LOOK OUT! • For those of you at NCAA institutions, keep in mind that some retired professionals, or others who have left the profession, may not have had experience with the NCAA LiveStats. But our friend and NCAA LiveStats guru and savior, David Petroff, makes it easy to learn. provides a resource to get familiar with the software, and now is the time to learn and practice. NCAA LiveStats for soccer and volleyball are available after making their debut last fall. Ice hockey debuts and will now join 14 | There’s an adage that says when God closes one door He opens another. While I believe that, I’ve also experienced the reality of God’s goodness and mercy all the days of my life, and that doesn’t stop because Guilford eliminated the position of its long- time sports information director. While I’ve led an extremely blessed existence, a friend reminded me I’ve faced greater hardship than unemployment. This too, shall pass, and it will not surprise me if I surface elsewhere with an opportunity that proves more life-giving than what I experienced at Guilford. While the ending didn’t turn out as I had hoped, I am thankful for my time at the small liberal arts college in central North Carolina. I helped the school transition through the many technological advances of the last two and a half decades. (The Internet was an infant when I started in 1996. Statistics gathering was in transition from paper to computers.) I saw a handful of Quakers’ teams and individuals excel in national tournament play and had the joy of promoting a few CoSIDA Academic All-Americans. Guilford occasionally appeared in national media outlets, had a solid social media presence, and streamed nearly every home team-sport event for the benefit of distant fans and recruits. But more than any professional accomplishment, I’m thankful for the many relationships forged over the years. As word of my departure trickled out, my phone started blowing up. Friends from all facets of life reached out for the better part of a week via calls or texts. The frequent remembrances humbled me and reminded me of what I’ll miss the most — the people, especially the students. When I started at Guilford I recruited student assistants and tried to reproduce the experience CoSIDA Hall of Famer Pete Moore provided me at Ithaca College in the early 90s. We covered games, worked in the office, and more I awoke with a strange feeling. Something wasn’t quite right. It felt like a mixture of light nausea and dread. What’s wrong with me? Oh yeah, that’s right. I don’t have a job today. For the first time in over 25 years (and the first time as a homeowner), I was in the job market in the middle of an international health pandemic and economic crisis. Guilford College furloughed me and 132 other employees April 3 with hopes of stemming a financial crisis that started well before COVID-19. We hoped to return to work in June, but that date shifted to August. Word trickled out in June that some of those furloughed would not return. One of Guilford’s vice presidents called me June 30 with the news that after 24 years of service, my position had been eliminated. The news hit like a gut punch and triggered a torrent of thoughts and questions. What will I do now? What did I do to deserve this? I don’t even get to say goodbye. What will become of the student staff? What will become of Guilford’s first full- time assistant SID who remains employed in the second year of an NCAA grant-funded position? Where’s my resumé? Can I stay in sports information? Will I have to relocate? Maybe this was a mistake and I’ll get called back. I’ve spent nearly half of my life at this place, how do I separate from Guilford College? These and other concerns kept me up at night for a couple weeks. Despite the doubt and uncertainty, I kept returning to two prevailing themes: hope and thankfulness. My unexpected loss of employment stings, but I’m not defined by my title or my employer. The skills that served me well over 27 years in the profession remain. The experience and relationships gained in that time will make me an asset to a different organization. A small severance affords me time to rest, reflect, and possibly reinvent. Gut Punch by Dave Walters | CoSIDA 25-Year Award Recipient // CoSIDA Committee Member Outside the Lines Photo provided by Dave Walters. CoSIDA members like Dave Walters — through no fault of their own — are facing the harsh reality of furloughs and layoffs.CoSIDA 360 | SEPTEMBER 2020 | 15 importantly, we worked together and had fun in the process. Over time I realized the best part of the job at Guilford was coming alongside young people, investing time and energy in their development and watching them grow into productive team members and responsible young adults. I’m hopeful my next stop affords me a similar opportunity to work with people so passionate and dedicated. If a transition from sports information is in order, I’ll definitely miss CoSIDA and the many friends made there. Despite meager funding, I attended all but two national conventions, plus a handful of EAST-COMM Workshops. Committee and board service to the organization were life- giving experiences that introduced me to so many good people, most of whom never covered an event with me at Guilford. In July, Doug Vance told an online Coffee Shop audience of furloughed and displaced SIDs they were always welcome in the CoSIDA family. These were encouraging words to be sure. While I don’t know specifically what the future holds, I know there’s something out there for me and it’s likely better than what I left at Guilford. A friend (and former Guilford student assistant) works locally as a counselor. He helpfully advised me to grieve the loss. A couple friends and I walk daily wearing weighted backpacks, which has greatly helped my mental and physical fitness. I bought my first personal computer (ever!) and secured my outdated resumé from Guilford’s network. I’ll update the resumé, work my professional network, continue to serve in my church, and perhaps seek a part-time job to generate some income. There’s something out there for me. It may have a different title and will be with a different organization, but that’s okay. I’m flexible, versatile, and relational. I’m an SID and by God’s grace, I’m going to get through this. CoSIDA hurts for its members when insitutions are forced or, in some instances, make the misguided decision to eliminate their communications professionals or staffs at a time when communications is more important than ever. For those who have lost their jobs, you remain part of the CoSIDA family. Please stay connected with your national organization. We are here to support you, provide you resources, and advocate for you.16 | RACE, SPORTS AND ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS Championing Allyship into Action The recent deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and others have shed a light on the instances of police brutality and racial injustice in the United States. The resulting protests and discussions have led in a heightened awareness of the intolerance Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) experience in their daily lives. This national discussion about racial injustice has left many wondering how they can be better allies and how they can turn allyship into action. To assist with this effort, CoSIDA leadership began — a year-long series of conversations, events, learning opportunities and resource-sharing that will focus on racial and social justice in the U.S. The initiative kicked off with a webinar discussion That discussion, along with a variety of resources that can help CoSIDA members learn what we can do today to make our campuses and communities more inclusive and welcoming, can be found at The following pages offer summaries of a few of those resources that were selected by members of the CoSIDA Advocacy and Diversity & Inclusion committees. “Don’t let your fear of the unknown keep you in the same space that you are. We have to move forward. There’s no option to not move forward. You need to do what you’re comfortable doing but don’t let a fear of saying the wrong thing or not being well received stop you from advancing yourself, advancing your institution or advancing our profession. We each need to be one percent better today than we were yesterday.” Jessica Poole Chicago State University CoSIDA 2nd Vice President Chair, Diversity & Inclusion Committee Compiled and provided by the CoSIDA Advocacy and Diversity & Inclusion committees, including: Sahar Abdur-Rashid | NCAA, Assistant Director, Media Coordination and Statistcs, Championships External Operations | Danny Barnts | Point Loma, Assistant Athletics Director for Communications | Kyle Chilton | BYU, Director of Media Relations - Men’s Basketball | Sarah Kirkpatrick | Holy Cross, Assistant Director of Media Relations | Jessica Poole | Chicago State, Senior Associate Athletic Director for External Operations and Revenue Generation | Kenisha Rhone | Belmont, Director of Digital Media & Social Strategy | CoSIDA 360 | SEPTEMBER 2020 | 17 Below is a brief summary of the meaning of each letter in the LEAP acronym. L: Listen and learn from your Black colleagues’ experiences. E: Engage with Black colleagues in racially diverse and more casual settings. A: Ask Black employees about their work and their goals. P: Provide your Black colleagues with opportunities, suggestions, encouragement, and general support. In the article, Dr. Creary gives more detailed descriptions and examples of each principle of LEAP. A key takeaway from this article is the importance of creating safe spaces where Black co-workers can express the inequalities they have faced at work. We can do our part in amplifying their voices so that those in positions of authority become more aware of changes that need to be made. READ How to be a better ally to your Black colleagues by Dr. Stephanie LISTEN by Andrew with guest Dr. Kevin Nadal In this 20-minute podcast, reporter Andrew Limbong talks with Dr. Kevin Nadal about microaggressions. Dr. Nadal defines microaggressions as ‘the everyday, subtle, intentional — and oftentimes unintentional — interactions or behaviors that communicate some sort of bias toward historically marginalized groups.’ He adds that while these interactions may seem small, their accumulated effect over time can become a big strain on the mental health of those affected. People in privileged groups should be aware of the feelings of those that belong to marginalized groups. Dr. Nadal notes that people of color are often expected to educate white people about these issues, which can be exhausting. White people should do their homework by reading blogs and essays, watching documentaries and trying ‘to think outside of your own perspective.’ We can’t expect Black people to do all of the heavy lifting. To people of marginalized groups, Dr. Nadal advised setting realistic expectations and to know that immediate change isn’t going to happen. He added that you should always be aware of your mental health. You can’t constantly be fighting. You need to know when to step away and rest and let someone else pick up the slack. Limbong notes that if you are actually trying to learn something from this moment, these small, daily interactions are as good a place to start as any. In this article, Dr. Stephanie Creary discusses the fact that we are in the ‘midst of two interrelated public health crises (systemic racism against Black Americans and the COVID-19 pandemic) that have magnified the disparities that Black Americans continue to experience in the U.S. Despite the fact that there is an awakening happening around systemic racism, our Black co-workers have been experiencing these injustices for a very long time. An expert in corporate diversity, equity and inclusion, Dr. Creary developed LEAP: A Framework for Becoming a Better Ally to Black Employees. It’s ‘designed to help people from different backgrounds build stronger relationships in the workplace.’ Dr. Creary notes that the difficult, hard work of noticing, connecting, valuing and responding to the needs of those who are different from us ‘results in more effective working relationships.’ Visit for links to these resources and many more on the topic of race relations and education. CoSIDA Race & Social Justice InitiativeNext >