• 2015 CoSIDA Special Awards general announcement/release
• Special Awards feature story schedule
by Debbie Copp, University of Oklahoma Director of Publications
Take a family history of attending the University of Wisconsin. Add in a former Badger student-athlete and school record holder in track and field. Mix in a journalism degree but a lack of experience. Add in a large helping of mentorship from an experienced professional. Top off with a passion for collegiate athletics, particularly those at Wisconsin, and boundless enthusiasm. The secret ingredient that makes this honoree complete, be willing to spontaneously execute a nearly flawless handstand or cartwheel anywhere you are in the world.
That combination will lead you to Diane Nordstrom, the initial university division College Sports Information Directors of America
(CoSIDA) Achievement Award winner. What you also get is a nearly 30-year professional, who had been left speechless when she learned she was to receive the first-ever award to be given. Nordstrom is in her 24th season as an associate athletic communications director on the Badgers staff.
“I was quite surprised, just for being nominated,” Nordstrom said. “It is quite the honor, especially to be the inaugural recipient. It means I have made a lot of friends in the business while I was working very hard.”
Nordstrom was the fourth person in her family to attend the University of Wisconsin, following an older brother and two older sisters. A
state championship winning high school track and field athlete, she walked on at Wisconsin and set the school record in the discus. A three-time Big Ten Conference scorer, she was part of teams that won six of eight possible Big Ten team titles.
A journalism major, Nordstrom needed work experience once her competitive career had ended. Enter CoSIDA Hall of Famer Tam Flarup -- the rest is history and brings us to today.
Nordstrom was the first intern in the UW’s women’s sports information office. She spent two years in that position then accepted the assistant’s job at UW-Milwaukee. Four months later, the SID left and Nordstrom became the NAIA-DII school’s sports information director. Three years later, the opportunity to return to Madison came up and she was back with her beloved Badgers.
“Working for your alma mater has to be the best thing,” Nordstrom continued. “It’s just the best place to work. You have a history you share with current student-athletes and the program.”
At Wisconsin, Nordstrom has worked a wide variety of sports, including her current sports, volleyball and women’s basketball. She also has told the stories of the student-athletes and coaches in men’s and women’s track and field and cross country, men’s soccer, tennis, and men’s and women’s swimming and diving. Each of those sports got her very best.
“I work in a great office and this award is, in a large part, an award for our entire staff,” Nordstrom explained. “We share an enthusiasm for covering Badger sports, telling the stories of our student-athletes and coaches. I think this award shows how hard we, as a communications staff, work to promote our student-athletes, coaches and programs.
“For me, that also goes back to early lessons that Tam taught me – she taught me how to love everything you do and everything I
needed to know about this profession.”
Through the years, Nordstrom has seen significant change in our profession. And she is quick to praise those who mentored as she now completes the circle as a mentor to CoSIDA’s young professionals.
“Tam was such a special mentor for me as was Mary Jo (Haverbeck),” Nordstrom added. “Debby Jennings, Chris Dawson, Justin Doherty -- each was a mentor for me.
“I also want to add the people I have worked with through the years in the Wisconsin athletic communications office, the people I work with on a daily basis. We work together very well, finding ways to promote those who compete and coach for Wisconsin.
“I think the biggest change has been the increase of social media. Now we can reach more people directly with the stories of Wisconsin athletics and that is the biggest change in our profession. You tell your stories rather than going through the filter of a media outlet.”
Award winners are often asked for advice to others. Nordstrom was no different, and, while the information differs for the groups, there is a consistent theme – telling the stories of those you cover.
“For the young professionals in CoSIDA, I would say do the best job you can with whatever sport(s) you cover. You can rock the house
as an SID regardless of the sport. For a high school journalism class, this is an awesome profession. You get paid to attend sporting events and to tell the stories of talented people. You can do so via social media, writing, photography or desktop publishing. Tell me another job that lets you do all of those things WHILE you are getting paid to watch athletic competition.
“For those in college, this is a very rewarding profession. You get to work with great coaches and student-athletes. It is just an incredible experience when one of them comes back and says ‘thank you for what you did for me.’”
Her key to success is simple, yet complex.
“You have the best chance of success if you are able to look ahead, plan and see the big picture,” Nordstrom added. “See what could happen so you can prepare for any contingency. That gives you the ability to give your coaches and student-athletes the best experience possible and that is success.”
Like her older brother who attended Wisconsin during the turbulent 1960s, Nordstrom is extremely
passionate about her causes that included all intercollegiate athletics and the women in CoSIDA. She currently serves as co-chair of Female Athletic Media Relations Executive (FAME) and she is paying it forward.
“FAME offers women in our profession a sounding board,” she explained. “Tam urged me to get involved and stay involved with CoSIDA. She would always bring me to sessions and introduce me to people. That’s something we try to do in FAME, build the bridges between people. I hope I have been a mentor to others as people were for me.
And about those international handstands and cartwheels – they have a deeper meaning for Nordstrom.
“I do those in honor of Mary Jo. She could never do one and I started doing them to celebrate. Of course, these days, I’m probably better off doing the cartwheel rather than the handstand,” Nordstrom said while laughing.
Now, if she could just figure out how to do a cartwheel while holding her award as CoSIDA’s inaugural university division Achievement Award winner.