Imagine scanning social media one morning and coming across the headline Jones Steps Down as Sports Information Director. Not necessarily an attention-grabber for most readers, but this press release was being shared by respected colleagues in the field of what is currently known as athletic communications, mostly in efforts to draw attention to the Unrealistic Expectations that seem to be appearing across the country, specifically on small college campuses.

Personally, this day’s awareness of the realities of working in intercollegiate athletics came a few days after viewing a televised college football game where I began asking questions such as: Why do we need a guy running up and down the sidelines holding up a bedsheet? Does he get paid for this task? or How does one become assigned the responsibility to hold on to the coach’s belt during the game to keep him from wandering onto the field? Why are there more people in street clothes on a basketball bench than players in uniform? My list of questions and observations are too long for one blog post, but what I am witnessing on the screen doesn’t often translate into what I regularly observe in most athletic programs where I am in attendance.

Entering the intercollegiate athletic world in the 1990s when it was rare for a small college to have a full-time SID, I have been an eyewitness to the evolution of the profession. In 1990, there was no internet for posting box scores and player rosters because the first webpage did not arrive until around 1995. I left the day-to-day operations at the end of that decade before all the technological changes such as streaming events, the introduction of social media, and shift in journalism away from print, for an academic opportunity, before the true reality of Unrealistic Expectations hit. It became my responsibility to educate Emerging Generations who would go on to Find their Flame or Chase a Dream in the vocations that allow these sporting events to materialize.

Many of the issues related to Unrealistic Expectations voiced in the press release are not new to those striving to invest themselves in careers in the industry. In 2020, CoSIDA conducted extensive research related to the inconsistencies of work/life balance within the field which mirrored the content of a brochure from the early 2000s touting the value an SID brings to the image of the school and the “free press” generated without spending advertising dollars, but it appears we are reaching an unfortunate crossroads where the availability of personnel to perform these tasks is reduced, but the expectation to continue performing these duties remains the same.

Without restating content from Buried Pipes and Devaluing the Past, the concern is, whether in athletic communications or athletic training, there is a shortage of personnel, and no one seems to be willing to discuss how this will impact the reality of what people are physically able to do with only so many hours in a day. The job sites listing positions within intercollegiate athletics are full of opportunities, but a shortage of people, due to lower birth rates in Generation X, means that there are less people than what we are used to, and as the older generations retire, there aren’t enough people to replace them. This shortage creates a gap which means younger people with less experience will be asked to fulfill the available positions – we can’t expect things not to change, we must adjust our Unrealistic Expectations that athletic events can continue to operate as they have in the past.

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, there is nothing that warms my heart more than to see someone living out their vocation in the way God specifically designed them to do, whether that’s an athlete sharing his talents on the field, a landscaper creating lawns of beauty, or a sport management student finding her place of belonging on the sidelines. Having the opportunity to educate students to serve in these capacities has been a tremendous blessing. I’m concerned that Unrealistic Expectations are leading us to this current place, and my hope and prayer is that we make some adjustments before we lose the people, like Randy Jones and so many others, who have sacrificially devoted their careers behind the scenes to allow intercollegiate athletics to be the enjoyable pastime that it is today.

This post is dedicated to all my friends and colleagues who have tirelessly sacrificed for the benefit of their institutions. Please see the resources below for more information on the wealth of essential skills that athletic communications staff bring to the table. And if you have someone that you would like to express your gratitude to, please consider commenting in the space below.

References:

CoSIDA. (2020). College athletics communication: 2020 compensation and career satisfaction survey. [Infographic]. Retrieved from https://collegesportscommunicators.com/sports/2020/4/29/2020CoSIDASalarySurvey.aspx

CoSIDA. (n.d.). Sports information and your institution. [Organizational Brochure]. Retrieved from personal files.

Press Release. (2023, September 5). Jones steps down as sports information director. [Social media post].