School of Communication undergraduates Evan Craig and Livvi Anderson recently published “The Relationships Between Higher Education Institutions and High School Sports Associations: Maximizing Symbiotic Relationships for Teaching Sports Communication” with Dr. Joseph Blaney in the Journal of Media Education.

In “The Relationships Between Higher Education Institutions and High School Sports Associations: Maximizing Symbiotic Relationships for Teaching Sports Communication,” Professor of Communication Dr. Joseph Blaney and Illinois State undergraduates Livvi Anderson and Evan Craig uncovered how the associations that sanction high school sports teams throughout the U.S. view their partnerships with local universities, how their relationships commenced, the roles that students play in delivering sports communication services for the associations, and the barriers/limits on such partnerships.

Employing university students in the execution of state series athletic events and other association functions helps fill personnel gaps for organizations, while giving students resume-building experiences ranging anywhere from fully paid internships to more seasonal part-time experiences. This variability squares well with students’ varying levels of availability and interest.

“Partnerships such as these are particularly important for students who may not have a lot of time left in their program to gain practical experience,” Blaney said. “Experiences such as providing sports information services for a state volleyball tournament, for instance, allows the student to develop a portfolio in a short period of time. The associations benefit from available student staffing.”

Two such students include co-authors Livvi Anderson and Evan Craig, whom Blaney identified in his COM 341 course as students who could provide great content services but did not have time for a full internship. They gained experience writing features about legendary football and volleyball teams in Illinois after being introduced to Illinois High School Association (IHSA) staff.

“I believe this research represents untapped potential for both college students and the associations involved,” Anderson said. “My ISU experience wouldn’t be the same without the opportunity to gain hands-on experience, and I believe that is the future of higher education, especially in sports communication.”

The study is available in the latest volume of the Journal of Media Education, which is published by the Broadcast Education Association.