APSE

By Nicole Saavedra, Orlando Sentinel, University of Central Florida

At the 2011 national conference in Boston, APSE president Michael Anastasi discussed his vision for a diverse APSE.

Part of that vision will be realized at this year’s national conference, which APSE will co-sponsor with the Association for Women in Sports Media.

“Diversity means not only the people attending, but the panels,” Anastasi said. “One of my priorities is that all of the panels are as diverse as possible and it made it more financially viable.”
 
The conference will be the first joint endeavor at the national level for APSE and AWSM. The groups have previously combined for regional conferences. Early registration for the conference, which will be held in Chicago from June 20-23, will close for news organizations on June 1.

“We always see a lot more energy and a broader point of view when we have AWSM members participating at APSE conferences,” Anastasi said. “We wanted to extend that to the national level.”

A number of members are involved in both organizations, including Anastasi, who notes that both groups approach their professional development in a similar fashion.

“By joining forces, we can create a lot of synergy and energy and lay the groundwork for our organizations to become closer over time,” Anastasi said.

APSE and AWSM partnered to develop the content for the conference, which includes will include a general session on Title IX and a workshop on how women consume sports content.

“I couldn’t put a percentage point on it, but the people organizing our end have been in constant contact with the people at APSE, floating ideas back and forth,” AWSM president Amy Moritz said. “We’ve had no problem doing that and having accommodations for things that APSE does and AWSM does.”

APSE will still host the Red Smith award luncheon, which will honor Sports Illustrated’s Frank Deford. AWSM will honor ESPN’s Sandy Rosenbush at its Pioneer Award luncheon.

All events, except for organization meetings, will be open to all attendees. AWSM will host a members-only gathering on June 21.

“Hopefully, AWSM can bring some new insights and vantage points to APSE members and APSE can do the same thing and share our knowledge and viewpoints,”  Moritz said.