When the sports world came screeching to a halt in March 2020, the UConn Athletics social media staff was at a loss for content.
“With no games going on, we couldn’t satisfy a lot of our promotions for the partners that we have,” said Michael Sivo, UConn Athletics social content specialist. “They couldn't be on the backs of tickets or have their signage viewed at games. We really had to focus on social content, not just for the sponsorship side, but for athletics in general."
Sivo tied promotions to social media projects to satisfy business partners and engage with UConn’s extensive audience at the same time.
“We tried projects we never would have tried if there wasn’t a pandemic going on,” Sivo said.
One of these projects was “Connecting with Coaches,” sponsored by Cox Communications. UConn athletics allowed fans to submit questions to the various head coaches, and the coaches answered via video message.
“We had to see how we could still execute the project, but also give it more of a relatable feel,” Sivo said. “We had the coaches do these videos from home, on their own phones. At the time, it made perfect sense because everybody else was also at home, stuck on their phones.”
For the softball team specifically, the athletic department staff has been following the lead of the players on social media strategies.
“There are so many great student-athletes on our softball team,” said Chris Jones, assistant director of athletic communications. “They’re willing to do the Tik Toks and all of that fun stuff to showcase their personalities. They make my job really easy. They’re their own content creators.”
The content creation began two years ago with Marybeth Olson and an old GoPro she had lying around the house.
“We just started taking the GoPro everywhere that season,” said Olson, senior UConn pitcher. “It was the very first model.”
The original go-pro became a casualty to the ocean during spring break, but the coaching staff bought Olson a new one because they loved the vlogs so much. Olson said she learned how to put videos together from her dad.
“My dad would always make videos of my sports teams growing up, so he showed me some of that stuff,” Olson said.
Senior outfielder Reese Guevarra has been part of the vlog channel since the beginning. She said the vlogs capture the most genuine moments of the team.
“It’s not just one person behind the camera. It’s everyone on the team,” Guevarra said. “It’s random, spontaneous moments, and I think it shows the genuine experience that we’re having.”
With the 2021 season currently underway, UConn softball is welcoming fans back to games in small numbers. Burrill Family Field can seat 518 people, but far less will be able to experience the new stadium in its inaugural season. Each player is given four tickets per home game, to ensure that social distancing can take place in the stands. The vlogs not only entertain fans who aren’t able to attend games this season, they also help the current team connect with recruits.
“The coaching staff shows the recruits all the videos,” Olson said. “It’s a good way for them to get an inside scoop on what we’re doing.”
Guevarra relishes the opportunity to inspire future generations of women student-athletes.
“I never really thought of myself as put on a platform where I can inspire younger generations of women,” Guevarra said. “I want them to see us enjoying our time here and see how softball is such a powerful and impactful sport.”
The videos posted on Olson’s personal vlog account have seen a recent spike in viewership, which Olson attributes to the videos being re-posted on UConn softball’s main accounts. The main UConn softball pages have seen increases as well, specifically in follower count over the last year.
UConn Softball Instagram Follower Count
Jones believes several different factors have contributed to the increase in followers. He noted the new stadium, new coaching staff, and the potential to win.
“There’s this new fire lit underneath (the program),” Jones said. “The best marketing tool is winning, and I think they’re going to be able to do that in the Big East.”