| Title: | Director of Sports Information |
| Phone: | (269) 337-7287 |
| Email: | swideen@kzoo.edu |
Steve Wideen has been Kalamazoo College's sports information director and a member of the office of college marketing and communication since September of 1998. Wideen graduated from Cornerstone University in 1998 with a degree in business administration and a minor in marketing. Wideen worked in Cornerstone's sports information office as a student for three years, managing statistics for the basketball teams, assisting with writing and producing game programs, and developing and maintaining the college's first athletics web site. He started at third base and pitcher for the Golden Eagles for four seasons, earning team MVP and senior male athlete of the year honors his senior season.
At Kalamazoo College, Wideen developed the first actively managed athletics web site in 1998 and later launched and manages the athletic department's social media accounts. He has hosted seven NCAA Division III Men's Tennis Regional Tournaments, one NCAA III Men's Tennis National Championship Tournament, one NCAA III Women's Tennis National Championship Tournament, two combined NCAA III Men's and Women's Tennis National Championship Tournaments, and numerous MIAA men's tennis, women's tennis and cross country championships.
In addition to his sports information duties, Wideen served as head baseball coach from 2002-06 and remained with the program as a volunteer assistant from 2007-2012. His 2006 team set a school record with 20 wins. Wideen also has overseen media relations for the USTA Boys' 18 & 16 National Championships and is a member of CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America).
The Sports Information Office
The Sports Information Office has two primary functions:
* to promote the College and its programs via the College's 18 varsity athletic teams
* to manage information resources including sports statistics, photos, and history
To fulfill those responsibilities, the sports information office:
* maintains the athletics web site and social media accounts with timely and accurate information
* manages the system of reporting contest results and statistics to appropriate media, MIAA and NCAA outlets
* manages the compilation of statistics at home sporting events
* prepares programs for home sporting events
* nominates student-athletes for CoSIDA Academic All-America consideration
* writes and disseminates news releases
* provides feature article ideas to media
* coordinates media interviews
* assists media at all athletic events
* writes and/or assists with the writing of athletics material for College publications
* oversees photography of sporting events
* develops and maintains a historical archive for athletics
* hires and trains student-workers
* assists in the selection of Hall of Fame members
* assists and advises the Office of College Communication and Director of Athletics
Student-Workers
The sports information office relies on the assistance of several student-workers each year. Student worker functions vary and include assisting with statistics at home contests, writing news releases and feature stories, updating web pages, photo management, media guide/game program editing, and historical research. Students interested in this type of work should contact Steve Wideen for more information on possible opportunities.