• 2016 CoSIDA Special Awards general announcement/release
• Special Awards feature story schedule
by Will Roleson, CoSIDA Director of Internal Operations/Treasurer
In his role as assistant director of media coordination and statistics at the NCAA for the past 13 years, J.D.
Hamilton is well known to SIDs throughout the country. He may be most recognized for his position as media coordinator for the annual College World Series and for assisting with media operations for the Men’s Final Four.
But many are likely not aware that for the past five years, J.D. and his wife Cindy have been foster parents in Indianapolis for a total of 17 children.
For opening their home to children in need, J.D. has been chosen as the latest recipient of the Bob Kenworthy Community Service from the College Sports Information Directors of America. He will be honored at the 2016 CoSIDA Convention in Dallas at the June 15th Special Awards Luncheon.
The Hamiltons currently are fostering 7-year-old Ashley and her 1-year-old brother Jeremiah. Ashley first became part of their family in July of 2014, with Jeremiah joining from the hospital last summer when he was only two days old.
They turned to fostering in 2011 after Cindy had had two miscarriages and suffered a number of unsuccessful fertility treatments.
As J.D. says, “We came to the conclusion that it was not God’s plan for us to have biological children.
J.D. and Cindy Hamilton with Ashley and Jeremiah.
However, we still knew it was God’s plan to have children in our home. We knew that there was more in life than going to work and coming home to two empty bedrooms.”
Their first foster children were two girls who lived with them for 13 months, the longest they’d had any of the children until Ashley. Since then, they’ve cared for children for as little as one night (an 8th-grade boy who requested pancakes, hot dogs and mac-n-cheese at 5:30 in the morning) to two weeks (four sisters ages 4 to 13) to the few who have been part of the Hamilton clan for more than a year.
The Hamiltons decided on fostering rather than adopting because they wanted to be a revolving door for kids who really needed a home and for their families who needed a trusted home during any number of unfortunate family situations. The 8th-grader lost both parents in less than a year and needed a place for a night before relatives could arrive from Atlanta to take him. Others have stayed with them after their parents’ parental rights had been revoked by the courts and before they could be placed in more permanent homes.
“Their influence on these kids is immediate and impactful,” said David Worlock, a close of friend Hamilton’s and his supervisor at the NCAA. “J.D. and Cindy are not only providing for disadvantaged children, but they are giving them a chance at life.
They are parents. Perhaps not in the way they thought it would be, but
2016 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Final Four media coordination team
parents
nonetheless.
“If something terrible would ever happen to me and my wife, I would want J.D. and Cindy raising my boys," Worlock stated. "The great thing about them is they would do it in a heartbeat.”
J.D. believes there’s nothing special about what he and Cindy are doing … “It’s just our calling,” he says.
Though their hearts get broken when the children move on to other homes, they’ve been able to stay in touch with several as a second set of parents.
“We get asked frequently, ‘How do you not get attached?,” said Cindy. “The simple answer is, you do. And you should. But it’s ultimately not about us. We have learned that, l like many aspects of of parenting, there is sacrifice. Sacrificing that involves our time, energy, choices and emotions.”
J.D. also is active is his community as an elder at his church and as a referee in his church’s basketball league. In addition, he does freelance television work on a regular basis for ESPN and other production companies.
In his role at the NCAA, J.D. has administered weekly statistics, edited records books and coordinated the Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) for a variety of sports across divisions. He also is the media coordinator for the Division I Football Championship Game and previously chaired the Division II men’s basketball subcommittee that selected the 50th anniversary team for the Elite Eight in 2006.
For his efforts with the College World Series, he received the 2013 Wilbur Snypp Award, which is presented annually by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association for outstanding contributions to college baseball.
Prior to joining the national office staff in 2003, J.D. was an assistant athletic director at Cathedral High School in Indianapolis and director of sports information at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. He also held full-time athletics communications positions at the Horizon League and Quincy University, as well as internships at Purdue University and the University of Mississippi. J.D. graduated from the University of Indianapolis with a bachelor’s degree in sports information.
“The best part about fostering is being able to provide these children with a loving and safe environment for no matter the length of time,” said Hamilton. “God has blessed us with the desire to help and love these children. It is a true blessing.”
For more information regarding the Hamilton’s fostering experience, visit their blog at http://hamfamfostering.blogspot.com/.