College Sports Communicators

CSC Award-Winning Female Leaders Dani Gariglio (Davidson) and Katie Gonzales (Illinois Wesleyan) Host: Trip Durham, Founder, 2D Consulting, LLC Length: 26:33 This podcast features Katie Gonzales and Dani Gariglio, two young leaders and “rising stars” in the College Sports Communicators organization, as they discuss their career paths, leadership philosophies, and the importance of building strong relationships.  Gonzales is the Assistant Athletic Director for Athletic Communications at Illinois Wesleyan University, a Division III powerhouse. She was recently elected as CSC Third Vice President, and in three years will become the seventh woman in the history of CSC/CoSIDA to serve as President, and the second ethnic minority female to do so. Gariglio was recently elevated to Assistant AD for Operations at Division I Davidson College, following her standout work as Director of Creative Services. Both of them earned CSC Rising Star Awards, with Katie gaining hers in 2024 and Dani in 2025. Additionally, both earned CSC President’s Awards for commitment and exemplary service to the national association, with Gonzales earning her honor last year as chair of the Academic All-America (AAA) Core Committee and Gariglio being recognized for her work on the AAA and Young Professionals Committee  during this past June’s CSC UNITE25 Convention. Here’s a summation of the main points of this Beyond The Scoreboard podcast with Gonzales and Gariglio: * Both share their career paths into college sports communications, highlighting the importance of mentorship and seizing opportunities. * They share insights on what skills and guidance helped them excel in their respective athletic communications roles and ascend to the leadership roles they hold today. * They advocate for building strong networks, servant leadership, leading with empathy, authenticity and integrity, and trusting intuition as keys to effective leadership.   * Discussion on the value of service to the profession, particularly through committee work. * The importance of setting personal boundaries as essential for long-term success and well-being, the importance of inclusion, and supporting women in leadership roles. * Both offer advice to young professionals: build connections, seek out mentors, trust yourself, and always strive to leave things better than you found them. * They credit their mentors for teaching her both the basics and creative aspects of her profession, which has influenced her approach to teaching and leading others. * They also offer key takeaways from the June CSC UNITE 25 convention in Orlando.

Beyond the Scoreboard Podcast with the Father-Daughter Duo of Bob Beretta (St. Bonaventure) and Julia Beretta (Penn State) Host: Trip Durham, Founder, 2D Consulting, LLC In this episode of the Beyond the Scoreboard podcast, host Trip Durham sits down with a father-daughter duo currently working in NCAA Division I athletics: Bob Beretta, a CSC Hall of Fame inductee in 2020 who has his roots in athletic communications/sports information and is now the St. Bonaventure University Vice President and Director of Athletics, and his daughter, Julia, a rising athletic communications leader currently in her third year as Penn State’s assistant director for strategic communications. As an undergraduate at Sacred Heart University (in Connecticut), Julia was a varsity cross country/track and field student-athlete and was a two-time captain of the Sacred Heart club softball team. In this in-depth conversation, they discuss their careers in college athletics, today’s challenges, the importance of storytelling, and so much more. Julia, inspired by both of her parents, pursued a career in the field after internships at Syracuse and Penn State. Bob emphasizes the importance of storytelling and adapting to new media platforms. Both highlight the value of hard work, building relationships, and being present in their roles. They also discuss the challenges and opportunities in college sports, including the impact of social media and the evolving landscape of athletic communications. In this podcast, you will hear about: * Julia's journey as a college student-athlete moving into a college athletics communications career, and when and how she was inspired to pursue this career (after attending an Army-Navy game with her dad) * Bob’s perspective on Julia’s career choice, and, as AD, he shares the importance and value of athletic communications  * both then discuss the influence and power of social media, the generational differences in social media use, and what platforms play an important role in telling your organization’s stories today * both discuss the role - and misconceptions - of athletic communications today * a discussion on mentoring and career development * the challenges, opportunities and optimism in college sports today; Bob expresses concerns about the seismic shifts in college sports; Julia talks about the increased awareness and interest in women’s sports, and both agree on the importance of preserving the student-athlete experience and the role of athletic communications in telling compelling stories * in their final reflections, Julie asks her father about the one thing Bob wishes he knew at her age or what advice he would give her now, and his advice to be present where she is, work hard, and build strong relationships, emphasizing that opportunities will arise if she focuses on her daily efforts, is applicable for all in the industry;  Julia shares her "why" for working in athletic communications, highlighting the critical importance of building relationships

Designed for young professionals in college athletics, this engaging webinar explores how to identify the right career opportunities for you and how to build a strong foundation in the industry. Gain practical insights on aligning personal values with institutional culture, navigating the early stages of their careers, and positioning themselves for long-term success. Watch now to learn from leaders of the Young Professional Committee and connect with peers who are also charting their paths in collegiate athletics. Panelists - Jerod Fox, Kansas City Assistant Athletics Director for Strategic Communications - Patrick Murphy, Colorado School of Mines Athletic Communications Coordinator - Lynn Walsh, College of Charleston Director of Athletics Communications and Creative Content Moderator - Dani Gariglio, Davidson College Assistant Athletics Director for Operations/2024-25 CSC Rising Star Award recipient

Session 3: Making the Jump into the Profession to Thrive and Survive:  Build alliances and communicate like a boss What are the keys to success for today's athletics communicators? What are the hard skills and soft skills that will get your recognized and valued? The presenters talk about these keys and skills and also about the art to proper professional communications - going beyond being buried in our screens. We review expectations of appropriate workplace interactions and behaviors and discuss email and chat etiquette, how to effectively communicate in a timely matter with colleagues in your office, and those in the profession. When we encounter situations that are awkward or uncomfortable, we often freeze and don't know how to handle them; we will also discuss these moments and offer guidance. Panelists -Matthew Haufe, Elmhurst University Director of Athletic Communications -Bridgette Robles, University of Richmond Assistant Director of Athletics Public Relations -Jhordyn Stallworth, Mississippi State Communications Fellow -Peyton Thibault, Trinity University - Texas Assistant Athletic Director for Multimedia Moderator  -Ashleigh Jones, Denison University Director of Athletics Communications

Session 2 - Writing is NOT a lost art: How-tos and strategies when creating creative content How do you write for your department in 2025 and beyond? Join leading CSC writers and creative members who will offer how-to's, tips, advice and tools for writing effectively, asking the right interview questions, formulating your ideas, and making sure your social/digital/feature storytelling is spot on. Panelists -Graham Hays, Vanderbilt University Athletics Writer -Dani Gariglio, Davidson College Assistant Athletics Director for Operations -Drew Wilson, Averett University Assistant Director of Athletics for Communications & Administration Moderator -Grant Cohen, Tarleton State University Assistant Athletic Director for Media Relations