Sports Information Specialist

Performs a variety of paraprofessional and technical public relation duties designed to publicize, promote, and document inter-collegiate athletic programs, games, events, and athletics at a college, build campus spirit, and enhance the visibility of the athletic program with local media outlets and the public

Compiles information and prepares media guides, new releases, game notes, feature stories, and other materials for assigned sports teams, programs, and activities.

Updates the athletic website; monitors user feedback and provides appropriate responses.

Implements a comprehensive, multi-platform social media plan to share program, game, and athlete information and to develop a fan base and sense of community amongst followers.

Attends college and community events to represent and promote inter-collegiate athletic program.

Computes and reports game results, statistics, and other relevant data and information to governing bodies, conferences, and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as required by the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA).

Coordinates activities with staff of the college’s public information, graphic design, and computer information departments.

Maintains, organizes and secures athletic team data, records, and documents that have been designed for permanent or long-term preservation in accordance with the District and conference requirements.

Arranges photo shoots, takes photos and/or video records games and athletic events, edits and distributes photos and/or videos to appropriate sources.

Attends inter-collegiate games throughout California as assigned; coordinates facilities and equipment arrangements related to assigned duties, provides athlete oversight, and exercises work direction over student and recreational employees.

Provides day-to-day and special event operational support related to Athletic Department activities such as recruitment, athlete orientations, parent relations, fundraising, and hall of fame events.

Attends and participates in sport association activities and professional growth seminars, workshops and conferences.

Effectively utilizes standard office software in the performance of duties.

Performs related duties as assigned.

A Sports Information Specialist performs a variety of paraprofessional and technical work in implementing an effective public and media relations program to promote and publicize inter-collegiate athletic programs, games, events, and athletes at a college through the use of conventional, on-time, and social media informational materials/posts and approaches.

A Public Information Officer performs a variety of journey-level staff work in support of a public relations program of a college or the District which includes developing various informational materials to promote and publicize programs, services, activities, and events, providing support with the effective presentation of program information, services, and activities, and assisting with media relations.

General supervision is received from an academic or classified manager or administrator. Functional and technical supervision may be received from a Public Information Officer. Work direction may be exercised over student and community recreation employees.

Knowledge of:

Principles and methods of sports writing and reporting

Publication design and photo editing software

Style and formatting requirements for various sports media outlets

Contemporary social media platforms and their use

User-based techniques for web maintenance

Playing rules and terminology related to a variety of sports played at the community college level

Mathematical and statistical computations used for statistical reporting in sports

NCAA, conference and institutional rules and policies related to sports information

Basic techniques, materials, and equipment used in photography, graphic arts and video recording

Proper business English, punctuation, spelling and grammatical usage

Organization and use of records and files

Capabilities of computer systems, software and hardware common to assigned unit

Skill in:

Utilizing standard and specialized software systems related to work assignments such as StatCrew and PrestoSports

Ability to:

Implement effective communication strategies and initiatives to publicize the athletic programs, teams, participants, and achievements at a college

Obtain, organize, and prepare informational material for audiences with varied sport interests

Maintain strong relationships with local and regional media representatives

Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing

Compute sports statistics and maintain accurate records and archives

Maintain accurate and current athletic website and web pages

Adhere to all institution, conference and NCAA rules and regulations

Plan, organize, and coordinate assignments independently

Meet schedules and critical deadlines

Communicate effectively and tactfully with individuals from various ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds and different levels of academic achievement

Establish and maintain effective and cooperative working relationships administrators, staff, representatives from other institutions, and the public

Provide work direction to student and recreational employees

Work non-traditional hours, including nights and weekends

Travel to locations throughout the District and California with assigned teams

Learn specialized software applications

Education and Experience:

A.  A bachelor’s degree from a recognized college or university with a major in sports journalism, journalism, public relations, marketing communications, or a related field.

OR

B.  An associate degree from a recognized college or university preferably with a major in sports journalism, public relations, marketing communications, or a related field AND two years of full-time, paid experience in sports information or journalism which included experience in website management.

Special:

A valid Class “C” California driver’s license.

Travel to locations throughout the District and California is required.