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This feature is part of our series of profiles showcasing members throughout the CoSIDA membership during the celebration of CoSIDA Membership Recognition Week for 2018. See more features at CoSIDA.com/ThankYourSID.
Alison Smalling - Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Director of Sports Information
by Barb Kowal - CoSIDA, Director of External Affairs and Professional Development
At the 2017 ERAU graduation with seniors
from the women's tennis and women's
soccer teams.
Alison Smalling has served as the Director of Sports Information at Embry-Riddle for 11 years, joining her alma mater as the SID in 2007.
She helped Embry-Riddle, located in Daytona Beach, Florida, transition and re-brand as it moved from the NAIA to NCAA Division II classification. Smalling and her staff have gained almost 50 national and regional writing and publication awards from the NAIA and CoSIDA, including eight NAIA Gary Spitler Excellence in Publications honors.
She has vast experience in volunteering at NCAA and NAIA championship events, including the NCAA Baseball College World Series, NCAA Men's Basketball Division I and Division II Championships, the Old Spice Classic, NAIA Baseball World Series, NAIA Men's and Women's Golf, Tennis and Soccer Championships, among others.
Learn more about Alison's journey from a student with two degrees in aviation and aeronautical sciences to athletic administration, why she volunteers for community and leadership positions, and what keeps her in the SID profession.
You are working at your alma mater where you focused on aviation as an undergraduate and graduate student. How does someone with a bachelor's degrees in aviation business administration (1996) and a master's degree in aeronautical science (in 1998) create a professional career in athletic communications? What led you to the SID field?
I've been a sports fan pretty much my entire life. I started running track at a very young age and did well as a sprinter all through high school, but when it came time to pick a college, I chose Embry-Riddle because I wanted to be a pilot. At the time, the ERAU Athletics program was very young with only five sports, and they didn't have intercollegiate athletics for women yet. A friend invited me to go to a basketball game and I thought it would be a great way for me to get my sports fix. I instantly became a fan of our program and quickly made friends with the Athletics Department.
A few months later, I went to an away scrimmage and met the head men's basketball coach Steve Ridder, who was also the AD. A few days later, I got a call from his administrative assistant who said they had an opening for a student assistant and asked if I was interested. I jumped at the chance. At the time, I was the only student assistant in the department so I did a little bit of everything from working kids camps to helping with the budget. I even did some work with athletic training!
It was only a matter of time before I became involved with sports information and I was hooked. We didn't have a full-time SID at the time, but Todd Guilliams, who was the assistant baseball coach and part-time SID, and his wife Julie, the administrative assistant, set about teaching me the ins-and-outs of a profession I knew nothing about and I loved it.
Due to a series of circumstances, I had to give up flying and at a time when I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with my life I approached Coach Ridder for advice. A few weeks later, he called me into his office to talk about the investment they were going to make in sports information and asked if I would be interested in being a part of it. I immediately said yes and the rest is history!
Smalling with the Embry-Riddle men's basketball
staff on a 2015 exhibition trip to Australia.
You've been at Embry-Riddle for 11-plus years, and have led the communications efforts as the school transitioned from the NAIA to NCAA Division II membership. Tell us about that transition and how it has affected the Embry-Riddle athletic department.
The biggest impact is the notoriety that the NCAA brand carries. Our coaches and staff have always been competitive, but since becoming NCAA II members and playing in a very strong Sunshine State Conference, I've seen that competitiveness go up another level as we look to enjoy some of the success that we did in the NAIA, not just on the field/court/track, but also in the classroom.
Year after year, you've embraced extending yourself professionally beyond school and conference responsibilities. You formerly served on the NAIA-SIDA board of directors, and there's an extensive list of NCAA and NAIA national championships across many sports that you've worked at as a volunteer. How do you find the time to do so, and what motivates you to serve in these roles?
My greatest motivation comes from a true enjoyment of being in a championship environment. There's usually a lot of work to be done and it can get a little crazy sometimes, but playing a small role in seeing student-athletes celebrate getting to a championship and enjoying their experience makes it worth it for me.
What's one trend in athletic communications that you are a fan of?
Highlighting off-the-field/court accomplishments. It's really easy to get caught up in the wins and losses, but as one of the NCAA's ad campaigns has noted, only a small percentage will make it as pro athletes, and I really enjoy having a forum to talk about what our student-athletes are doing outside of their sport.
What's the project or campaign that you're proudest of? Why?
As part of Embry-Riddle's 25th anniversary, our communications team came up with a "Top 25 moments in ERAU History" campaign. We did a weekly countdown, which included posting a short video segment for each moment and the countdown ended with the reveal of the No. 1 moment at our end-of-year awards banquet.
Embry-Riddle has had two student-athletes named the overall CoSIDA College Division Academic All-America of the Year across all sports - soccer standout Katrina Morgan (2006-07) and tennis star Kristina Marova (2013-14). Ellie Staker was voted the College Division's top female track and field/cross country performer in 2014-15. Talk about the significance of the highly-competitive Academic All-America program as it pertains to your athletic department and recognition for the school.
There are A LOT of very talented student-athletes across the country and we are always excited when one of our student-athletes is selected for Academic All-America recognition. Our department motto is Student-Person-Player; in that order. Katrina, Kristina and Ellie are the epitome of that and to have them recognized as the best student-athlete in their sport by CoSIDA was icing on the cake!
What's the best piece of sports content that you have recently consumed?
E:60 - Catching Kayla. It's the story of Kayla Montgomery's battle with multiple sclerosis. (Montgomery is a North Carolina high school state champion runner at Mount Tabor HS.) I know her perseverance has been an inspiration to many, but for me it was a reminder of why I enjoy this profession. I'm a competitor and I like to win and I like when our teams win, but it's being able to witness the 'real life' accomplishments and successes that sports help our student-athletes achieve that I enjoy the most.
Who are your mentors and supporters who have helped shape you professionally/personally?
I'd like to list them all:
- Steve Ridder - ERAU Head Men's Basketball Coach
- Todd Guilliams - former ERAU Asst. Baseball Coach/SID
- Julie Guilliams - former ERAU Administrative Assistant
- Dwayne Leach - former ERAU SID
- John Phillips - ERAU Athletic Director
I've also learned a lot from three NAIA athletic communications leaders - Aaron Sagraves (Cornerstone), Cindy Potter (Columbia College), and Jay Stancil (Union) - and from JD Hamilton (NCAA) on what it means to be a servant leader in this profession.
Outside of work, what occupies your time?
Visiting family, being involved with my church, running and travels.
We are asking each featured member to provide a professional development tip to share as part of their profile. What is yours?
Take the time to invest in the people around you, regardless of whether they directly affect your job or not. It's easy to get caught up in the busyness of the profession and focus solely on getting the job done, and as we all know, sports information can consume a lot of our time and energy. But it's the relationships you cultivate with student-athletes, coaches, athletic trainers, the janitor, the facility maintenance person that will be the most impactful in your career.