On August 6th, Clark University Athletics announced that Paige Tolan would be named the new Athletic Communications Assistant specializing in Broadcast and Video. This is big news for the athletics department, as their five-year partnership with FloSports was announced at the end of last year. FloSports is a sports broadcasting company that will allow families and supporters of Clark’s athletes with subscriptions to the service to acquire a higher-quality streaming service than was available in the past. This is a massive change for Clark Athletics, and holds the potential to raise interest in Clark sports both on campus and elsewhere. 

With a change as significant as this, it is important that it is being led by people who are dedicated to presenting Clark Athletics in a positive light. This is exactly what Tolan aims to do as Clark begins the fall athletic season with FloSports. I reached out to Tolan to learn more about her role, aspirations and experience in order to gain insight on the future of Clark Athletics’ multimedia appearance. 

Tolan graduated from Ithaca College in 2023 where she studied Television and Digital Media Production. Tolan says she plans to combine aspects of her life experience to advance the future of Clark Athletic’s media presence. 

“Growing up as both an athlete and creative, I knew I wanted to do something where I could merge my life passions, and this new role at Clark does just that,” Tolan wrote. ”While in college, I learned and strengthened my skills in live events and television/broadcast production, sports photography, videography, graphics and much more. I am thrilled to bring these skills and passions to Clark to expand upon the Athletic’s program’s growing potential.”

As the Athletic Communications Assistant for Broadcast and Video, Tolan’s role for Clark Athletics is centered around uplifting athletics through their appearance on different forms of media. Tolan reported that her position mainly makes her responsible for producing the live streams that FloSports will broadcast of Clark’s Varsity Athletics as well as creating content for the department’s social media. 

“I hope to overall increase engagement on multimedia platforms by highlighting the Athletic department’s growing potential and success and highlighting the student-athletes and team cultures at the University,” Tolan wrote. 

As an alum of a Division III school, Tolan understands the possible divides that can exist between student athletes and non-student athletes on a campus such as Clark. When asked about the possibility of “soothing” this divide through athletic communications, Tolan responded optimistically about the potential changes the department can make. 

“I am looking to form and build a program of student creatives from all over campus for more cross-departmental collaboration,” Tolan wrote. “Athletics not only highlights the athletes on campus but also the talented individuals behind the scenes of a production.” 

Through collaboration, Tolan hopes that different skills and talents are emphasized through athletic media coverage. 

“Photographers, designers, editors, filmmakers, engineers, audio technicians, and much more all go into a successful Athletics broadcast and media coverage,” she continued. “There is a lot of refreshed energy in the Clark Athletics department, and by utilizing strengths from students all over campus, we can all help each other out and grow.” 

“I want to express how excited, thrilled, and grateful I am to be a part of such a welcoming community,” Tolan concluded. “This career is truly my passion, and I hope to build upon the Athletics department’s energy and share my knowledge to create success that impacts all of campus. If you have any interest in athletics or creative outlets, please do not hesitate to reach out!” 

The Athletics department is going through a lot of changes this semester, many of them exciting, and hopefully will provide more of an inclusive environment to Clark’s campus. It will be interesting to see how Tolan and the production team she builds will work towards accomplishing their goals. 

Morgan Martin is employed by Clark Athletics