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Carole Grills Photo Gallery
Carole Grills (Smith College), CoSIDA Hall of Fame
by Ann King, The Sage Colleges Director of Athletic Communications CoSIDA Special Awards committee member
Carole Grills is the third female from a Division III school to enter the CoSIDA
Hall of Fame.
Appointed the sports information director at Smith College (Northampton, Mass.) in 1981, Carole Grills was one of the original members of the Smith athletic department. Joining as an administrative assistant, she enhanced her role to become the first sports information director at NCAA Division III member Smith, serving the media needs of 14 varsity teams, until her retirement in January 2010.
Nearly seven years since her retirement, Grills’ contributions are still being saluted as she joins CoSIDA’s (College Sports Information Directors of America) Hall of Fame in June.
“Carole is a remarkable woman,” noted Roger Crosley of Emerson College and a member of the CoSIDA Hall of Fame class of 2010. “She raised two wildly successful daughters as a single mom working SID hours, she is a cancer survivor, and has been a mentor and an inspiration to countless young women. Her professional etiquette and conduct are examples to us all.”
Honored with CoSIDA’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013, Grills was first female from a Division III program bestowed with this award. With her selection to the CoSIDA Hall of Fame this year, Grills becomes just the third female from a Division III program to join the hall.
“Carol entered the profession at a time when it was overwhelmingly male dominated, so her being a “Pioneer” is most fitting,” Crosley noted. “She survived and thrived, mostly teaching herself to be an SID while reaching out to colleagues with questions. Over the years, she became the person people sought out when they needed help. Her ascent from administrative assistant to the hall of fame should be an inspiration to any young person entering the field.”
"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,” Grills reflected. “With the help of my many colleagues in ECAC-SIDA, I learned quickly.
“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 these lasting friendships,” Grills said.
Others, including former Smith soccer and softball student-athlete Kim McNulty, note Grills’ influence.
“As a former Smith student-athlete, I can attest to the positive role that Carole played in the lives of many Pioneer athletes,” noted McNulty, Director of Advancement at MMI Preparatory School (Pennsylvania). “She always had an encouraging smile or a kind word just when we needed it most.
“I had the privilege of working for Carole in the SID office, and it was during that time 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 U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. Carole is an extraordinary mom, boss, confidante, colleague and friend who always demonstrated the highest degree of professionalism and innovation in her position at Smith.”
“Carole Grills has been an advocate, a teacher and a mentor for so many over the years, and she has left an indelible mark on all of the lives she has touched with her caring style, commitment, leadership and friendship," noted Jim Seavey, SID at Massachusetts Maritime Academy.
"Carole’s organizational skills and strong working relationship with the media resulted in a lot of coverage for (Smith)" said Ken Cerino, who was the SID at both Springfield College and Western New England University during Grills’ tenure. “Carole was the first person to help anyone with anything. Her genuine and sincere interest in the Smith student-athletes was admirable and she had a tremendous impact in helping them have a positive athletic experience.”
Grills was a key staff member as Smith transitioned to NCAA membership (becoming the first women’s college to so so) and to a new conference (originally the NEW 6 Conference, now the NEWMAC Conference).
“As a pioneer for women in sports information, it didn’t phase Carol to be among the minority of women in the field when she started. She was confident and competent and very quickly earned the respect of her peers. I worked with Carole for thirty years and developed huge respect for her and for the work she produced, and we congratulate her on her honor,” said Bonnie May, Smith College associate director of athletics.
“Carole played a huge role, telling the Smith Athletics story as our athletic program flourished in the 1980’s and 1990’s. Carole was an organizer, a historian and an archivist, and she led us into the internet/web world. Above all, Carole really cared about the student-athletes.”
Grills is the mother of two daughters and has one grandson (Nikolai) and three granddaughters (Francesca, Luciana and Jules). 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.
Her daughter Amie notes that “It wasn’t easy sharing my mom with her needy other family (the coaches, not the athletes!), yet 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 found creative ways to manage her professional and personal lives. We saw flexibility, dedication, and her ability to have work and family life balance. My mom pushed us to strive for excellence, which is what she modeled through her own work.”
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