College Sports Information Directors of America

If we are judged by the company we keep, then I want to broadcast e-mail a group photo taken at our  CoSIDA Nominating Committee meeting on July 2 in Philadelphia.

At the CoSIDA Board Past President (third year) I chaired that committee, comprised of former CoSIDA presidents and charged with discussing and reviewing candidates for the CoSIDA Board of Directors.

Like the famous painting of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence set two centuries ago in the City of Brotherly Love, this modern-day Philadelphia gathering featured trailblazing heroes – not of a nation, but of an organization near and dear to our hearts.

I wasn’t sure how to set up the room for this meeting and ended up deciding on a circle of chairs – how could any one person be positioned in a more favorable seat than another within this collection of stars?

When the group congregated, the star-power was staggering, to say the least. The circle included:

Needless to say, it was a great meeting to run. It proved to me of how so many of these prominent individuals continue to be important contributors to CoSIDA.

The great gathering also reminded me of a time in my career when I reached out to a few legends for help. In 1985, following the CoSIDA Convention in Boston, I was feeling some big-time career frustration. I had been an SID for four years, all at the small college level, and was anxious to progress in the field. The job I held at the time was not only SID – but also college relations director and assistant basketball coach. Sports information had emerged as my chosen profession and so I pursued many opportunities. Unfortunately, the only progress I was making was in collecting form letters as responses to my applications.

I decided to write letters to Fred Stabley and Bill Whitmore, two CoSIDA Hall of Famers who were retired from Michigan State and Rice, respectively, and to Roger Valdiserri, who was associate athletic director at Notre Dame and another member of the CoSIDA Hall. I solicited their advice and much to my surprise, I got prompt and thorough replies from all three, even though I had never had the pleasure of formally meeting these gentlemen.

Stabley, who typed his response on Varsity Alumni “S” Club letterhead, shared a simple and meaningful message. He wrote, “I can only council patience. . .Keep up all contacts with fellow professionals. Do anything and everything in CoSIDA you can.”

Whitmore, who was affectionately known to many by his nickname, “the Barber,” wrote on a sheet of Rice note paper that listed him as S.I.D. Consultant. Next to it, he typed “Retired, tired, ex-prez CoSIDA. . .” He managed  five brief paragraphs into his response before he had to switch to a larger piece of paper.

“Frankly, I think the whole world is based on luck (or that old adage about preparation and opportunity, etc). . .You got to be at the right place at the right time to get the right job. Hang tough, work hard, BE ALERT AT ALL TIMES, and sumthin’ good will happen to you.”

Valdiserri, whose letter arrived first -- less than a week after I sent mine -- wrote something that left an indelible impression.

“My last three assistants have come from Division II or Division III schools since I think small school SIDs have had to do everything and do them on smaller budgets, have had to be more creative and more innovative than most SIDs.”

After hearing back from the three “Legends,” I couldn’t wait to get back at it! The correspondence served as great motivation for me and drove me to keep working to develop my skills and contacts. The following summer, I landed a full-time, sports information-only job in a very supportive setting.  Today, I am embarking upon my 24^th year in sports information.

At our recently concluded conference in Philadelphia, I discovered two constants about the sports information business: 1) the “Legends” of CoSIDA still care about the profession and its members; and 2) younger SIDs need their support and time-honored advice as much as ever.

With that in mind, a CoSIDA Past President’s Column will appear in the monthly edition of the CoSIDA Digest and will be archived on the CoSIDA website, www.cosida.com. The Past President’s represent only one segment of our “Legends” population, so the CoSIDA Board will continue to pursue avenues to connect those who built the organization with those who represent its future.

In the meantime, my advice to the younger professionals in CoSIDA is to reach out to the “Legends.” I know you’ll be glad you did.