CoSIDA Member Profile: Liza David
College Sports Information Directors of America
Liza David – UCLA, Assistant Athletic Director, Athletic Communications
by Barb Kowal – CoSIDA Director of Professional Development and External Affairs
Don't be afraid to learn something new or outside of your job scope. The more skills you have in your arsenal, the more valuable you become.
Female SIDs tend to get typecast as a women's sport SID, and I don't think that's fair. I give a lot of credit to all of the female football and men's basketball SIDs who had to work extra hard just to be given the chance to do those sports.
With regards to opportunities for minorities, I think that right now is a prime opportunity for minority voices to break through. Not only are minorities becoming more empowered, but people are finally starting to listen. And who better to tell these stories properly than those who can naturally relate?
- Liza David, UCLA Assistant AD, Communications
Liza David has known one university since her undergraduate days as a communications studies major – UCLA. She has been a fixture in UCLA Athletics since 1993 when she began her athletic communications career as a volunteer student assistant. Moving through the SID ranks as an intern, assistant SID, director of new media, athletic communications director, she is now Assistant AD of Athletic Communications, overseeing seven full-time staff members while serving as the main contact for the women's gymnastics and women's soccer teams.
In the Q&A, see more about David's career path, her thoughts on diversity, equity and inclusion in college sports leadership roles, her favorite UCLA moments, and much more.
David with and Marlene Navor, the College of Charleston Director of Athletics Communications and Creative Content, at the Santa Monica Pier in October 2020. These two leaders of a Division I athletic communications department are also the only Filipino-Americans to hold those positions.
What are some of the challenges you've faced – and seen – along the way as an ethnic minority female and leader in college athletics? Talk about some of the opportunities – and obstacles - you also see for ethnic minorities in college sports, particularly in athletic communications.
LD: I think particularly for Asian women, there's a stereotype of being quiet and docile, and we also tend to look younger than we are, which all contributes to not always being taken seriously as an authoritative figure. And women in sports – or women in general, actually – tend to get mansplained, which I absolutely hate.
Extra challenging for me is the fact that I'm not the SID for football or men's basketball. I would guarantee that if we didn't have our job titles on the staff directory, most people would look at the sport assignments and would choose me as one of the last to call looking for the head SID.
Ignoring the fact that the two sports I cover currently are women's sports, female SIDs tend to get typecast as a women's sport SID, and I don't think that's fair. I give a lot of credit to all of the female football and men's basketball SIDs who had to work extra hard just to be given the chance to do those sports.
With regards to opportunities for minorities, I think that right now is a prime opportunity for minority voices to break through. Not only are minorities becoming more empowered, but people are finally starting to listen. And who better to tell these stories properly than those who can naturally relate?
The majority of SIDs are white men. I think for our CoSIDA organization, it's important to do more recruiting, cultivating and mentoring and keep minorities in this field, especially given how many minorities participate in collegiate athletics.
What's the project(s) or campaign(s) that you're proudest of as a professional? Why?
LD: It's not necessarily a campaign or project, but I'm very proud of the fact that we've had six consecutive years of a UCLA gymnast going viral - including two in 2021. As Olympic sport SIDs, we are always striving for good exposure for our student-athletes. Getting six different gymnasts – none of who were on the Olympic team - as guests on nationally-televised shows is a blessing. Additionally, four of our gymnasts graced the digital cover of Essence Girls United, and they will be featured in the upcoming print edition of Essence magazine. What an amazing experience for those student-athletes!
Your bio indicates the UCLA women's gymnastics Instagram social media following has the second-most followers of any women's sports team in the USA, only to the US Women's Soccer National Team. Is this still true? What type of content / engagement has contributed to this?
LD: As far as I know, that is still correct. We are fortunate to have the best in the business as our team videographer. Deanna Hong is a masterful storyteller, and everyone on the team trusts her implicitly, which allows them to open up and tell their story and share their vulnerability. This past year, she took on a monumental task of filming and editing a docuseries, called "The New Era", which we released episodes of on YouTube during the year. The team also has a weekly interview series, Bruin Banter, which introduces our team members to the audience.
David with members of the UCLA gymnastics team at the Facebook/Instagram headquarters in May 2019 in Menlo Park, California.
Might be an tough question, but since you worked with 14 different UCLA teams during your tenure and been a part of 10 NCAA national titles, what are some of your best career moments?
LD: Being here for a program's first-ever championship is probably the most special. I was fortunate enough to be with gymnastics in 1997, women's soccer in 2013, and with baseball in 2013 (as a secondary SID). The most thrilling championship was definitely the 2018 NCAA Gymnastics Championship. We seemingly had no shot, and I even laughed at Phil Pierce, the NCAA media coordinator, at the midway point when he went around telling all the SIDs about post-meet procedures. And then our team went lights out the last two rotations and won it on a perfect 10 on beam on the final routine.
What did you/do you miss the most about college athletics during the pandemic?
LD: I missed games. I missed seeing people on a regular basis. One thing I did not miss, though, was the commute and the traffic! ?
What did your 15 year-old self imagine you'd be doing right now?
LD: I wanted to be a sportswriter covering the California Angels. And I think they should go back to that name!
What's the most interesting thing about you that we wouldn't learn from your resume alone or something you'd like people to know about you?
LD: Music is my second love after sports. I began playing the piano when I was two years old. One of my childhood dreams was to be a keyboardist for a pop band. Haha. Prior to the pandemic, going to concerts was one of my absolute favorite things to do. I once went to something like 75 shows in one year alone. I say now that I probably won't go to many concerts when things open up again, but I bet I won't be able to stay away too long.