More Than a Content Creator: What the Best SID Professionals Actually Become (May 14, 2026)

I recently reviewed a job description and started to to think what qualifies one person for the job over another. There are moments during every hiring process where résumés begin to blend together.

Everyone has written recaps.
Everyone has posted graphics.
Everyone has worked games.
Everyone knows Photoshop, social media strategy, and basic statistics software.

Technical competency matters. It always will.

But the longer I work in athletic communications, the more I realize the profession’s best professionals are rarely separated by software knowledge alone.

They are separated by how they think.
How they serve.
How they communicate.
How they respond under pressure.
How they build trust.

Too often, the modern athletic communications conversation becomes centered entirely around production:
How many graphics?
How many posts?
How many impressions?
How much content?

Those things matter, but they do not fully define the value of an SID professional.

The best professionals in this field become connective tissue for an athletic department.

They connect coaches to administration.
They connect student-athletes to institutional storytelling.
They connect alumni to current programs.
They connect community to campus.
They connect trust to communication.

That responsibility requires far more than content creation.

Serving Before Self-Promotion

One of the clearest indicators of long-term success in this profession is whether someone enters the field to serve or to be seen.

The strongest professionals understand visibility is earned through consistent work, not chased through constant recognition.

They celebrate student-athletes before themselves.
They share credit.
They handle small tasks with professionalism.
They understand that some of the most important work in athletic communications is never publicly noticed.

The late-night stat correction matters.
The follow-up email matters.
The quiet conversation with a frustrated coach matters.
The overlooked athlete story matters.

Service builds trust.
Trust builds relationships.
Relationships sustain departments.

A self-centered communicator can create division quickly.
A service-centered communicator creates stability.

Strategic Thinking Beyond the Recap

Athletic communications is no longer simply about documenting events.

It is about positioning institutions.

The best SID professionals think strategically. They ask:

• What story are we telling?

• Who needs to hear it?

• How does this align with institutional mission?

• What does this communicate about our culture?

• What impact does this have beyond today?

A graphic is not just a graphic.
A release is not just a release.
A social media post is not just content.

Every piece of communication reinforces identity.

Strong communicators understand that recruiting, fundraising, alumni engagement, campus pride, and institutional reputation are all affected by the consistency and intentionality of communication.

The profession increasingly needs communication leaders, not simply content producers.

Trust Is the Real Currency

In athletic communications, trust matters more than almost anything else.

The best professionals become reliable people within departments.

Coaches trust them.
Administrators trust them.
Student-athletes trust them.
Media members trust them.

That trust is built through consistency:

• Accuracy

• Follow-through

• Calmness

• Professionalism

• Emotional maturity

• Honest communication

Departments do not need professionals whose demeanor changes based on wins, losses, recognition, or stress levels.

They need stabilizers.

The strongest SID professionals often become trusted because they consistently make situations better, not louder.

Communication Is Leadership

Every interaction inside an athletic department shapes culture.

Emails shape culture.
Social media shapes culture.
Conversations shape culture.
Responses during adversity shape culture.

The best communicators understand that communication is not simply output. It is leadership behavior.

Intentional communicators understand:

• Timing

• Tone

• Audience

• Context

• Emotional intelligence

They understand that professionalism is not performative. It is operational.

Clear communication reduces friction.
Thoughtful communication builds alignment.
Professional communication creates trust.

Mentorship Still Matters

One of the profession’s greatest strengths has always been its willingness to help others grow.

The best SID professionals invest in people.
They mentor student-workers.
They share ideas with peers.
They encourage younger professionals.
They seek growth themselves.

This profession improves when knowledge is shared instead of protected.

Strong professionals understand their responsibility extends beyond their own career progression.

They are helping shape future communicators, future leaders, and future advocates for student-athletes.

Protecting Institutional Culture

Athletic communicators often become unofficial custodians of departmental culture.

They help determine:

• Which stories are elevated

• Which voices are heard

• What standards are reinforced

• How people are represented publicly

Culture is affected by communication more than many departments realize.

Negativity affects culture.
Carelessness affects culture.
Disengagement affects culture.
Ego affects culture.

The strongest professionals understand their role is not simply to promote athletics.

It is to represent people responsibly and institutions professionally.

Professionalism Under Pressure

Athletic communications is demanding work.

Long hours.
Constant deadlines.
Travel.
Unexpected issues.
Emotional environments.
Limited staffing.

Pressure reveals professionalism.

The best SID professionals are not defined solely by what they produce when everything goes smoothly.

They are defined by:

• How they respond to mistakes

• How they manage conflict

• How they communicate during adversity

• How they handle exhaustion

• How they lead when things become difficult

Composure matters.

Departments need professionals who create calm, not chaos.

Understanding the Mission

The strongest candidates — and the strongest professionals — understand the work is bigger than the content itself.

A transactional communicator sees:

• Posts

• Graphics

• Statistics

• Recaps

A mission-driven communicator sees:

• Student-athlete experiences

• Institutional storytelling

• Historical preservation

• Community connection

• Department identity

Athletic communications is not simply publicity.

It is stewardship.

It is documentation.
It is advocacy.
It is relationship-building.
It is preserving moments and memories that become part of an institution’s history.

That responsibility deserves intentionality.

More Than Content Creators

The phrase “content creator” has become common within athletics.

But the best SID professionals eventually become something much more important.

They become connectors.
Stabilizers.
Translators.
Relationship-builders.
Problem-solvers.
Culture-shapers.

They become connective tissue for athletic departments.

And in a profession built around people, trust, and institutional identity, that may be the most valuable role of all.

You Don’t Have to Have It All Figured Out (May 12, 2026)

As another academic and athletic year comes to a close, the field of athletic communications spends significant time celebrating others. We promote championship moments, recognize award winners, highlight academic success, and tell the stories of coaches and student-athletes whose work deserves to be honored. It is one of the most meaningful parts of the profession.

But after the graphics are posted, the releases are written, the banquets end, and the seasons officially close, there are often quiet moments that follow for the people behind the scenes.

Too often, those moments can feel empty.

As professionals in athletic communications, many of us quietly wrestle with questions that nobody else sees. Did I do enough? Did I represent people well? Did I miss something important? Could I have told that story better? Could I have served our student-athletes, coaches, or institution more effectively?

I have felt that personally.

There have been moments where the uncertainty of whether I handled a responsibility to the best of my ability followed me long after the event itself ended. Those thoughts do not always stay confined to the office or the press box. Sometimes they spill into other areas of life — creating pressure, doubt, and exhaustion that are difficult to explain to people outside the profession.

That is part of why I wanted to write this.

Not because I have everything figured out, but because I know many others in this field are carrying similar thoughts. In a profession built around serving others, it can become easy to measure our worth only through production, recognition, or external validation.

But growth in this profession — and in life — rarely comes from perfection.

It comes from continuing to show up.

In athletic communications — and really in any leadership role — there is pressure to appear polished, confident, and always prepared. Social media often rewards certainty. Résumés reward accomplishments. Public perception rewards composure.

But growth rarely happens from pretending you already have all the answers.

Some of the best professional moments I have experienced did not come from having everything figured out. They came from showing up willing to learn, willing to listen, and willing to take responsibility for the next step in front of me.

Early in a career, it is easy to believe that credibility comes from perfection. Over time, you realize credibility is built through consistency. It is built through reliability. It is built through humility.

There are days in athletic communications when everything moves fast. Deadlines stack up. A game changes unexpectedly. A story becomes more emotional than anticipated. A coach, student-athlete, or administrator needs support in a moment you did not prepare for. In those moments, you cannot always rely on having the perfect answer.

What matters is showing up.

Showing up willing to work.
Showing up willing to adapt.
Showing up willing to learn from mistakes instead of hiding them.

Humility is often misunderstood as weakness, but in this profession, humility creates growth. It allows you to ask questions. It allows you to accept feedback. It allows you to recognize that every season, every student-athlete, and every institution has something new to teach you.

The pressure to “have it all figured out” can become paralyzing for young professionals entering athletics. They compare their beginning to someone else’s middle. They think confidence means never doubting themselves.

It does not.

Confidence can simply mean trusting yourself enough to take the next right step even when the entire path is unclear.

Sometimes the next right step is sending the email.
Sometimes it is owning a mistake.
Sometimes it is staying late to finish the job correctly.
Sometimes it is asking for help.
Sometimes it is listening more than speaking.

Careers are not built in giant moments nearly as often as they are built in small, consistent decisions repeated over time.

The people who last in this industry are rarely the ones pretending to know everything. More often, they are the ones willing to keep learning long after others stop.

You do not need to have the entire journey mapped out today.

You just need enough humility to keep growing and enough discipline to take the next right step.

The Competitive Advantage Athletic Departments Overlook: Retention (May 12, 2026)

The athletic job market has never been more crowded, yet departments across the country continue to struggle with one issue that receives far less attention than hiring: retention.

Every opening in athletics now attracts hundreds of applicants. Social media makes opportunities more visible, networking has become more accessible, and professionals are constantly encouraged to chase the next title, salary increase, or institutional logo. Movement has become normalized. In many cases, it is even celebrated.

But amid all the turnover, one reality remains unchanged: the most successful athletic departments are rarely built through constant replacement.

Retention still matters because college athletics is fundamentally a relationship-driven industry. Institutional knowledge, trust, consistency, and culture cannot be replicated overnight by simply filling a vacancy. While departments may believe they can always find another candidate in an oversaturated market, replacing experience is far more difficult than replacing a position.

In athletic communications especially, retention creates continuity that directly impacts storytelling, branding, recruiting, alumni engagement, and student-athlete experience. The longer a professional remains invested in a department, the deeper their understanding becomes of the people, traditions, and moments that shape an institution’s identity.

In an era where everyone seems focused on who is leaving for the next opportunity, departments that prioritize keeping good people may ultimately gain the greatest long-term advantage.

Between Celebration and Loss: Remembering the Moments That Matter Most (May 11, 2026)

On Saturday, I stood among celebration, accomplishment, and the unmistakable joy that comes with graduation day. I watched student-athletes walk across the stage, embrace their families, and close one chapter while stepping boldly into another. There was pride in every smile, every handshake, every photo captured in the moment.

Then on Sunday came the news that a former student-athlete had passed away.

In less than 24 hours, I experienced the full emotional range that often comes with working in athletic communications. It is a profession built around moments — victories, defeats, championships, injuries, milestones, and memories. But beyond every stat, record book entry, or highlight clip are people. Real people who leave lasting impacts long after the final whistle.

I often tell people the true impact of this field cannot be measured.

On Saturday, I felt overwhelming joy.
On Sunday, overwhelming sadness.

And somewhere in between are the emotions that continue to shift from hour to hour and season to season.

As I reflected today, I thought back to seeing this student-athlete graduate. I remembered the pride surrounding that moment and the conversations we shared that went far beyond football or track and field. Conversations about life. About goals. About becoming more than just an athlete.

When news like this arrives, words never feel fully adequate. You search for the perfect tribute, only to realize there probably is not one. But as messages continued to pour in from teammates, coaches, classmates, and friends, one thought became clear:

Celebrate every moment.

Celebrate the ordinary conversations. Celebrate the long practices, bus rides, and random check-ins. Celebrate the milestones and the small victories that never make headlines. Capture the photo. Send the message. Tell people what they mean to you while you still can.

Because moments become memories faster than we realize.

Graduation reminded me how beautiful beginnings can be. Loss reminded me how fragile life truly is.

Both reminded me just how important people are.

---

For the Graduates

Caps raised high beneath the sky,
Dreams no longer waiting nearby.
Steps once small now lead ahead,
By courage, sacrifice, and purpose led.

The nights were long, the road was steep,
Through victories earned and promises kept.
Now doors swing wide to futures unknown,
Yet every lesson has helped you grow.

So carry the memories, cherish the climb,
For this moment belongs to your time.
And wherever your next chapter starts,
Take SMC with you in your hearts.

---

For the One We Remember

Though the stadium lights may fade from sight,
Your memory still burns strong and bright.
Beyond the jersey, beyond the game,
We remember the person more than the name.

In conversations, laughter, and stride,
Your impact still walks beside us with pride.
Gone too soon, yet never truly away,
Because love and memory continue to stay.

And while grief may visit without warning or plan,
We celebrate the life of a remarkable man.
For moments shared become part of our own,
And through those memories, your spirit lives on.

Lead Yourself First: Keep Showing Up (May 8, 2026)

 This week I’ve reflected often on this thought from Kevin DeShazo:

“Focus on your actions, your mindset, your intentions, your decisions. Lead yourself first.”

Lead Yourself First: Raise Your Standard (May 7, 2026)

Inspired by this thought from Kevin DeShazo:

“Focus on your actions, your mindset, your intentions, your decisions. Lead yourself first.”

The more I reflect on that statement, the more I realize something simple but important:

Most people do not fall short because they lack talent.

They fall short because they slowly lower their standards.

Not all at once.

Gradually.

Quietly.

And eventually, what once felt unacceptable becomes normal.

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Standards Shape Everything

Your standards influence:

• how you work

• how you respond

• how consistent you stay

• how disciplined you remain when nobody is watching

And over time, your standards become your identity.

That’s why self-leadership matters so much.

Because leadership is not built on occasional motivation.

It’s built on repeated behaviors.

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The Danger of Comfortable Drift

One of the biggest challenges in life is that comfort slowly changes expectations.

You skip one routine.

Delay one goal.

Lower one expectation.

Make one excuse.

And none of it feels major in the moment.

But repetition changes standards.

That’s how drift happens.

Not through one major decision—but through small compromises repeated over time.

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High Standards Require Accountability

The difficult part about self-leadership is this:

Nobody can maintain your standards for you.

Other people can encourage you.
Mentors can challenge you.
Friends can support you.

But eventually, discipline becomes personal.

At some point, you either hold yourself accountable or you slowly accept less from yourself.

That’s where growth either accelerates—or stalls.

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You Don’t Rise to Goals

A lot of people set goals.

Far fewer build standards.

And there’s a difference.

Goals are directional.

Standards are behavioral.

Goals say:
“I want to achieve this.”

Standards say:
“This is how I operate every day.”

That distinction matters.

Because when motivation disappears, standards remain.

And in difficult seasons, your standards determine whether you keep moving or start negotiating with yourself.

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Raise the Standard Again

Sometimes the biggest adjustment you need is not a new goal.

It’s a higher standard.

A return to consistency.

A return to intentionality.

A return to doing the small things well again.

That might mean:

• protecting your routines

• managing your time better

• eliminating distractions

• improving your focus

• following through on commitments

• becoming more disciplined in private

None of those things are flashy.

But all of them matter.

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Self-Leadership Is Built Daily

Lead yourself first.

Not occasionally.

Daily.

Because the standard you accept today eventually becomes the life you live tomorrow.

And the people who continue growing are usually the people who refuse to let comfort lower what they expect from themselves.

So take inventory.

Where have your standards slipped?

What have you started tolerating that you once would have corrected?

And what needs to change starting today?

Because growth rarely begins with a massive breakthrough.

Most of the time, it starts when you decide to raise your standard again.

Lead Yourself First: Know When to Reset (May 6, 2026)

Monday's thought from Kevin DeShazo:

“Focus on your actions, your mindset, your intentions, your decisions. Lead yourself first.”