By Justin Rushia
From game day posts and player updates to TikToks and personal videos from the team, SUNY Plattsburgh sports teams take advantage of their online presence.
In today’s era of social media, most student athletes have a presence on various social media platforms. When a team portrays itself positively on social media, it can benefit the team.
“In this day and age, social media is a huge recruiting tool,” Kelci Henn, women’s tennis head coach, said in an email response. “A potential recruit can get an idea of what to expect from Plattsburgh tennis.”
Reaching out and staying connected with athletes is easier than ever. With the help of social media, recruits can go beyond just looking at a team’s record or roster. They can get a real sense of the team’s culture and personality by checking out the Cardinals’ posts.
“With my players having access to the account too, it also allows for the recruit to talk with current players,” Henn wrote. “This makes the program less intimidating and brings some life to the account rather than just seeing pictures.”
Michael Rodriguez, a sophomore on the men’s soccer team, credited social media as a major factor in his recruitment process.
Like many athletes, Rodriguez promoted himself through his social media accounts. This allowed coaches and recruiters to see his highlights and full games and get a glimpse of his personality.
“After posting highlights on multiple social media platforms, coaches would watch them and reach out to me about visiting their school,” Rodriguez said.
Players also rely on social media to find camps and clinics where college coaches can see them play in person.
“I met Chris Taylor, our coach, at the Hudson Valley Showcase, which has a ton of social media recognition, and that’s how I ended up at Plattsburgh,” Rodriguez said.
While many Plattsburgh team accounts, such as volleyball and tennis, are run by coaches, some accounts are run by the players.
Brook Lynn DaSilva, a sophomore goalie and broadcast journalism major, has full reign over the women’s soccer account.
“I have run other social media accounts in the past, so it was fitting for the account to get passed down to me,” DaSilva said.
Connecting with fans is one of the biggest benefits of social media.
“It’s fun for them to post a ‘Day in the Life’ video because it truly showcases a realistic look at what a day-to-day looks like, along with showcasing various parts of campus on the academic side,” Henn wrote via email.
Account owners, such as Henn and DaSilva, don’t have to create all their content themselves. Caleb Philips, director of athletic communications, and Dawnisha Franklin, assistant athletic communications director, play a large role in creating content for every team’s account.
“Dawnisha and Caleb make the gameday posts and some bigger announcements and graphics,” volleyball head coach Emille O’Brien wrote in an email response. “The day-to-day posts/reels/TikToks are made by the team or myself.
While teams don’t have official schedules on when to post content, most of them follow a similar routine.
“We try to make posts once a week during our season to keep our social media updated with our accomplishments and participation in the community,” Henn wrote in an email. “I encourage the athletes to post on their personal stories as much as possible to keep our account active and get views from recruits that way as well.”
Social media has become not only a tool for athletics but a part of the athlete experience as a whole. For DaSilva, running her team’s account isn’t a job.
“I don’t get paid,” DaSilva said. “It’s just a labor of love.”
