From playing on youth soccer fields, to baseball diamonds, to football gridirons, boys and girls everyday come to the humbling realization that they will not grow up to become professional athletes. But for Paul Sweeney, a self-described mediocre athlete, childhood passion for professional sports has been redirected to his current job as Tufts' sports information director.
"I've always had an interest and love of sports," Sweeney said in an interview with the Daily. "I wasn't much of an athlete. I played a little football in high school."
While he may have lacked talent on the athletic field, Sweeney excelled as a writer. Born and raised in Chelmsford, Mass., Sweeney attended the University of New Hampshire (UNH), where he majored in English and became sports editor of The New Hampshire, the school's daily newspaper. Most importantly, UNH is where he refined his craft - not pitching or dunking - but rather writing.
"My writing ability is the most important skill I have," Sweeney said.
After graduating from UNH in 1989, Sweeney reached a crossroads in his life. Two things were certain - he would not be a professional athlete, nor did want to be a sports journalist. Other than those two fundamentals, Sweeney found himself lacking direction.
"I had an internship at the Peabody Times as a junior," Sweeney said. "It wasn't my style to be an aggressive reporter. When I graduated from college, I really didn't know what I wanted to do."
While not quite as Rockwell-esque as a father-son backyard football toss, Sweeney's father threw him a touchdown pass after graduation. With no idea what he wanted to do career-wise, Sweeney's father suggested he go to the Sports Information Director's Convention in Buffalo, New York - it turned out to be his big break.
As fate would have it, Sweeney found an internship working with the sports information director at Umass.-Lowell, right near his parents' house.
"I had no experience in the field," Sweeney said. "My location helped me get it. I was honestly making like one hundred dollars a week, and I was living at home."
After two years on the job at Lowell working under veteran SID B.L. Elfing , Sweeney was given a full-time position, which he held for two years. But he wasn't earning enough money, and felt that a change was in store.
"Elfing taught me a very professional way," Sweeney said. "I was learning on the job. Four years [at UMass-Lowell] was probably too long for me. I was so comfortable and happy, but then I had to look at other jobs."
In July, 1993 Sweeney received a call-up in the world of sports information. After four years working alongside Elfing, he applied and was hired for the SID position at Tufts.
"My role is to get as much info out as possible on [Tufts] sports and athletics on the web page, programs and newspapers," Sweeney said. "I'm in charge of getting the word out."
Among Sweeney's greatest accomplishments at Tufts was his help with the development of the athletic department's webpage four years ago. Prior to the webpage, most of his written work came in the form of press releases and sending information to local newspapers. The site (ase.tufts.edu/athletics) is immensely popular in Tufts' athletic world and has received over 28,000 hits since Jan. 30.
"The web site has been the most rewarding thing," Sweeney said. "The webpage is tangible. I have a hit center on the webpage. It's definitely rewarding because it is used and appreciated."
In his role as Tufts' SID, the biggest sporting event he has ever experienced occurred this past fall, when the women's soccer team hosted and competed in the NCAA Final Four.
"The Final Four was the biggest event we have hosted here," Sweeney said. "Everyone thought we did a good job. There was a lot of excitement on campus."
Perhaps surprisingly, Sweeney has no aspirations of becoming an SID at a Division I school, where he would receive more money and have the opportunity to cover higher quality sports.
"If I was going to stay in sports info, I wouldn't leave Tufts," Sweeney said. "Tufts has treated me well and I make a decent living. A lot of the profession isn't well paying. [Tufts] treats me well in that regard. I have my roots here."
