The CoSIDA Goodwill and Wellness Committee will run periodic features this year profiling SIDs away from the office, engaging in community service activities and/or wellness/health activities.
Below, Mount Vernon Nazarene SID Dave Parsons is featured in a Q&A profile. Now an avid runner and marathoner, Parsons discusses how he did not always endorse a healthy lifestyle, having been trapped in a lifestyle that many SIDs face: long, irregular work days, questionable eating habits and seven-day-a-week schedules performing their athletic duties. Parsons details how he adopted his new lifestyle and offers tips on making heathly choices.
A current member of CoSIDA's College Division Management Advisory Committee, Parson has been a CoSIDA member for 18 years and served as the NAIA-SIDA President from 2007-2009. Parsons has won numerous awards from NAIA-SIDA and CoSIDA for his media guides and feature stories. He received the Clarence "Ike" Pearson Award as the NAIA SID of the Year in 2008 and was named the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVC) Grant Burger Media Award Sports Information recipient in 2009.
The interview was conducted and written by Chris Mitchell, Washington University (St. Louis) Sports Information Director and a member of the Goodwill and Wellness Committee.
Note: If you know of a fellow CoSIDA member who has made great contributions in his/her community with goodwill service or has turned their life around with better wellness, please e-mail Sam Atkinson at
sam.atkinson@gallaudet.edu, Chair of the Goodwill and Wellness Committee, to be considered for a future feature.
Q and A with Dave Parsons:
Sports Information Director at Mount Vernon Nazarene University
By Chris Mitchell, Washington University Sports Information Director
Mount Vernon Nazarene University Sports Information Director Dave Parsons is built more like a post player than a runner.
A wrist injury while playing lunchtime hoops in 2010 put his 6-foot-6 frame on the sidelines, instead of on the court. That injury, along with a pair of pants that no longer fit, got Parsons into running.
Parsons began as a student assistant SID at MVNU in 1993, and 18 years later is the 
Sports Information Director at his alma mater. He and his wife Carla are the proud parents of two daughters, Ashley (9) and Kylie (6) [pictured, right].
Parsons, though, is not the only runner in the family. Carla has already completed three half marathons, and the entire family ran the MVNU Homecoming 5K on his birthday in November.
Parsons started slow by running the trails near his house in Mount Vernon, Ohio, and entered his first race in August – a four mile jaunt which he finished second in his age group.
Parsons saw many familiar faces at that event, and got the idea of starting a running group to keep motivated. A year later, he has completed three half marathons and signed up for two full marathons this fall. He will attempt to qualify for the Boston Marathon on Sept. 18, in Erie, Pa.
“I really enjoy seeing new people take up running and seeing how it changes their lives for the better,” Parsons said. “It has been a great experience. It is a social aspect as I have been running with a bunch of friends. It’s a big family.”
CM: What are some tips you would give fellow SIDs about eating late, while traveling or during a busy gameday?
This is truly one of the big downfalls in our profession. We work long hours, late nights, and weekends. We're around concessions stands and hospitality rooms stocked with food that we like that might not be the best for us. I was as guilty as anyone at grabbing pizza and a Mountain Dew (or two) around 10 p.m. after a home basketball doubleheader before settling in to write game recaps and update the website.
The thing that has made it easier for me to not do this is to make sure that I don't have access to stuff that is bad for me. I have a small fridge in my office that I keep stocked with bottled water now and I try really hard not to eat anything after 8 p.m. I don't keep candy or other snacks in my office. When I'm eating fast food on the road with one of our teams, I really do try to find the healthiest options on the menu.
CM: What motivated you to get fit and how did you go about getting fit and shedding pounds?
One day, I was putting on my favorite pair of pants and noticed they were getting kind of tight. I got on the scales in our training room when I got to work and I saw a number (230) that I had never seen before. I told myself that day that I needed to do something to keep from heading down that path to needing new pants. I didn't have a specific goal in mind, although in the back of my mind getting to the 210 listed on my driver's license resonated with me. Thanks to running, trying to eat smarter (but not necessarily less), and drinking half my weight in ounces of water each day, I've gotten down to 195 pounds in 14 months.
CM: What have you done to keep the weight off?
My New Year's Resolution for 2010 (which was even before I would start running in May) was to try to give up drinking soda and to cut back on sweet tea - both of which I drank a lot of. I'm pleased to say that I only had three sodas all that year and cut back the sweet tea a whole lot. I added french fries (which includes tater tots, onion rings, and my favorite - McDonald's hash browns) to the banned list with soda for 2011 and so far I've been able to stay strong with that.
It's not that those items are some magical way to lose weight, but for me it was about mental discipline and they were items in my life on a constant basis. When you add in the running and all the water I'm drinking, it hasn't been a problem to keep the weight off.
What were your pitfalls in the past and how did that affect your eating habits and lack of exercise?
I love to eat. Plain and simple. I would try to play pick-up basketball a couple times a week with our coaches and other faculty and staff members over lunch, and so that helped me to stay in some semblance of shape or at least gave me the illusion that it was ok to just eat whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. I was always guilty of eating plenty of pizza on game nights or looking for the biggest meals that I could find when going out.
As I approach my 40th birthday later this year, I don't still have the metabolism of the 20-year-old college student I once was and my eating habits were catching up to me.
What exercise do you do now to stay fit?
I run. I typically do a 5K (3.1 miles) each morning at 6 a.m. through the week and then get a long run or two in on the weekend. The early morning run isn't easy because I'm not necessarily a morning person, but I'm committed to not taking any more time away from my family and this was the only time that I could squeeze it in.
I'm blessed to have found some other local people to run with which makes it a lot more fun and holds each of us accountable. I log each of my runs on Daily Mile (a social media site for runners), which basically gives me a journal for the year while also allowing others to encourage and motivate me. As my running has progressed, I've now completed three half marathons and have signed up for my first two full marathons this fall. My ultimate goal would be to qualify for the Boston Marathon and I'll be attempting to do that in Erie, Pa. on September 18 when I need to cover the 26.2-mile course in 3:20:59 or less.
Looking back at your old self what would you say to that person?
I really wish that I would have taken up running years ago. I'm in the best shape of my life, but more importantly I've been able to develop some great relationships with other runners. The running family is very much like the sports information family - a bunch of hard workers who are passionate and would do anything for you. I would encourage anyone who is looking to become more physically fit to start by just walking or running one mile a day. You will be amazed at how much better you will feel just by doing that.
More from Dave Parsons:
Here are two blog posts that will show you where I've come from:
Blog - http://mvnusid.blogspot.com/
Reminder: If you know of a fellow CoSIDA member who has made great contributions in his/her community with goodwill service or has turned their life around with better wellness, please e-mail Sam Atkinson at
sam.atkinson@gallaudet.edu, Chair of the Goodwill and Wellness Committee, to be considered for a future feature.