Note: This is the second story in the CoSIDA Special Awards feature series which will highlight all 2013 Special Award recipients. All recipients will be honored at the CoSIDA Convention (June 12-15) in conjunction with the NACDA and Affiliates Convention at Orlando's Marriott World Center.
See the full list of recipients and features schedule.
by Ann King, The Sage Colleges Sports Information Director
CoSIDA Special Awards Committee
Carole Grills served as the first Sports Information Director at Smith College until her retirement in January, 2010. For her long-time service to the college sports communications profession, Grills will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award at the annual CoSIDA Convention, taking place this June at the Marriott World Center in Orlando. The Lifetime Achievement Award is presented to CoSIDA members who have served at least 25 years in the profession (as of June 2013) who are retiring or leaving the profession.
Grills was appointed to that position in 1981 and was one of the original members of the Athletic Department. In addition to serving the media needs of 14 Pioneer varsity teams, she also performed numerous administrative duties including serving as the liaison between the Athletic Department and the Office of Admissions and administering the eligibility of student-athletes.
Lynn Oberbillig, Smith's Director of Athletics said, "Carole embodied the 30-year history of Smith Athletics. We are saddened to lose her dedication and expertise.”
Smith’s veteran tennis coach Christine Davis added “Carole Grills was always there for us in her ever efficient style. She never let us miss a deadline and she was our best cheerleader. We miss her a great deal.”
Grills reflected on her career, saying "When I began my career in the Athletic Department I was asked to create the position and become the Sports Information Director, having no knowledge of what the position entailed. With the help of my many colleagues in ECAC-SIDA, I learned quickly.
"My decision to take early retirement was not an easy one," she continued. "However, with both my position and salary cut 25 percent, I felt the exceptional amount of effort and support that I have consistently strived to provide this department, its athletes and coaches, would be impacted. Rather than allow the circumstances to dishonor the position I worked so hard to create, I decided to move on. It has been a privilege to share in the joys of the hundreds of athletes who have crossed my path over the years, to make a positive impact in their lives, act as a 'mom' when they would seek me out in that capacity, support their efforts on and off the field of competition, and maintain the lasting friendships that I have made."
Grills was the 2006 recipient of the prestigious Irving T. Marsh Award, presented by the Eastern College Athletic Conference Sports Information Directors Association (ECAC-SIDA). The award recognizes dedication, contribution and excellence in the field of collegiate sports information and media relations. First presented in 1966, the award is named after Irving T. Marsh, the ECAC Service Bureau founder and director until his retirement in 1973. The first woman in New England in the college division to receive this Marsh Award, Grills also celebrated her silver anniversary as the college's Sports Information Director in 2006.
“As a former Smith College student-athlete, I can attest to the positive role that Carole played in the lives of many Pioneer athletes,” noted Kim McNulty, Director of Advancement at MMI Preparatory School. “She was always nearby with an encouraging smile or a kind word just when we needed it most. I also had the privilege of working for Carole in the SID office during my time at Smith and it was during that time on the bus to many basketball games that I realized my love of sports could be the basis for a career. I was lucky enough to have Carole as a mentor and my inspiration during my nine years as the SID at the US Merchant Marine Academy. Carole Grills is an extraordinary “mom”, boss, confidante, colleague and friend who always demonstrated the highest degree of professionalism and innovation in her position at Smith. CoSIDA has chosen a truly worthy recipient for this award in 2013.”
Roger Crosley, ECAC Director of Communications at the ECAC noted this about Grills. “When I started at MIT in 1986, the first phone call I received was from Carole.” Crosley added, “She simply wanted to introduce herself and let me know that if there was anything she could do to ease my transition, I should give her a call. At the time I thought it was simply a future colleague being gracious. As I grew to know Carole over the years and learned of her background, I began to realize just what an amazing person and accomplished professional she is.”
During her tenure at Smith, Grills has captured eight CoSIDA Citations for Excellence in Publications including five for "Best in the Nation." In 1986, Grills hosted the first round and quarterfinals of the first NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Championship and in 1988, 1990 and 1996, the NCAA Division III Men's and Women's Indoor Track & Field Championships. She has helped host over 50 ECAC, NEWMAC, Seven Sisters, MAIAW and New England championships.
In her time at Smith, her teams and athletes have made 26 NCAA national appearances, had three individual national champions and over 60 of Smith student-athletes have received All-America honors. Grills has had two state winners in the national NCAA Woman of the Year program and she also celebrated with eight athletes as they hit their 1,000th career point in basketball.
Grills also received numerous accolades for committee work over the years. She served on the 90th Anniversary of Women's Basketball Committee in 1993 and coordinated the festivities at Smith that received national coverage, including the reenactment of the first game played at Smith in 1893. She served on this committee again in 2003 when Smith celebrated the 100th anniversary. As Smith College was a founding member of the Seven Sisters Championships and the NEW 6 (now NEWMAC) conference, Grills was a representative who attended the inaugural meetings. During the first three years of the NEW 6, she served as the conference's official basketball statistician. She compiled the minutes from the first four years of all the NEW 6 meetings, wrote the first policies and procedures handbook for the conference and also served as the NEW 6 treasurer.
Grills also volunteered for many years in the media room during the Basketball Hall of Fame's Tip-Off games.
“Carole was also a trailblazer," Crosley noted. "She was one of the first female sports information directors in New England, and was a constant proponent for the advancement of women in college athletics. Many of her former students have gone on to very successful athletic administrative careers, and all of them have given Carole much of the credit for their success.”
Ann King, SID at The Sage Colleges said of Grills that “In her retirement announcement to her colleagues, the underlying concern expressed by Carole was not that of concern for herself but that of others, such as what the cutbacks in the sports information profession at Smith would do to the students and coaches she has worked so hard to promote and advance through her tireless dedication. She also expressed a concern for her fellow sports information professionals as to how this would affect them in their work.”
"Having known Carole since the late 1980’s, she became a mentor, a colleague, and a dear friend, added King. “I cannot think of a more worthy candidate for this unique honor as she will become the first female from Division III to be the recipient of CoSIDA’s Lifetime Achievement Award!”
Grills is the mother of two daughters and has one grandson and three granddaughters. Both of her daughters are graduates of Smith who went on to pursue graduate degrees. Jennifer received a law degree from Villanova and Amie a doctorate in clinical child psychology from Virginia Tech.
Daughter Amie commented that “it wasn’t easy sharing my mom with her 'needy other family' - the coaches, not the athletes - but what I realized as an adult is what an important role model she was for my sister and me. She was one of only a few working moms among our friends’ families and she often had to find creative ways to manage her professional and personal lives. We saw flexibility, dedication, and most important her ability to have work and family life balance. She also pushed us to strive for excellence, which is what she modeled through her own work.”