College Sports Information Directors of America

Food for thought … how many of us took a shot at the Mega Millions or Powerball Jackpots in the last few months, despite the odds of winning being nearly 300,000,000 to 1?

Naturally, the enormous payout is worth the $2 investment for many of us. Now, what if you could win $5,000 or even $10,000 and your odds of winning were a mere 20 to 1? Would you buy a ticket?

As a CoSIDA member, you’re already holding that ticket. All you need to do is apply. The CoSIDA Scholarship Program awards a total of $81,000 annually in scholarships and internships, and the entire program is run and voted on by CoSIDA members.

“If we published the odds, it’s like free money,” said Nebraska Senior Associate Communications Director Jeff Griesch. “It’s fascinating to me that we don’t have more applications, but I don’t think the membership understands how great the programs are because they don’t believe they can win.”

Griesch knows first-hand the benefits of the scholarship program, having been a two-time winner of a CoSIDA postgraduate scholarship while earning an advanced degree at Nebraska.

“The scholarships were really big for me because it gave me the ability to go to grad school and gave me a reason to stay in the athletic communications field,” he said. “I had just gotten married and the scholarship not only made it affordable for me to go to school, but it allowed us to pay our bills. It also gave me more time in the field — and I honestly can’t say I would still be doing this if I didn’t have more time to decide that this profession was for me.”

The CoSIDA postgraduate scholarship program was first introduced in 1981 and was expanded in 1999 to include undergraduate scholarships and internships, which are awarded to each winning institution in order to hire additional help. In 2014, the scholarship program expanded to include scholarships for children of CoSIDA members.

The program saw significant growth prior to 2017-18 school year, increasing the amount awarded each year from $35,000 to $81,000.

“The organization is in a great financial position and we weren’t afraid to invest that money back to the membership,” said Andy Seeley, Associate Athletic Director at UCF, member of the scholarship committee and CoSIDA President during the 2016-17 school year.

“Jeff (Griesch) and the rest of the committee deserve a lot of credit for putting the proper package in front of the board,” he added. “I’m really proud to have been on the board and been able to cast a vote for this. To me, it’s one of the most important programs we have and vital for helping young people in our profession.”

The program expansion raised the financial commitment for the postgraduate scholarships from $5,000 to $10,000 and the undergraduate scholarships from $3,000 to $5,000. It upped the internship award from $10,000 to $15,000 and established one new position for each program. The organization now awards three postgraduate scholarships, three undergraduate scholarships, two member-child scholarships and two internships.

The member-child scholarship, which awards $1,000 each year for two children of CoSIDA members, was adjusted from a one-time award to a renewable award for up to four years, provided the student remains eligible.

“The objectives were to make the scholarship programs accessible to more people and it shows the membership that CoSIDA is willing to give back, especially at the education level,” said Griesch. “That was the objective and I think a lot of credit goes to the board and to Andy for presenting it to them.”

Prior scholarship winners have already gone on to have a profound impact in our profession. Among them is Carli Todd, Assistant Director of Athletic Communications at the University of Texas. Todd applied for and was awarded the CoSIDA Undergraduate Scholarship as a sophomore at the University of Tampa in 2009. She worked in the sports information office at Tampa, and later served as communications assistant and senior communications coordinator with the Tampa Bay Rays. When she entered graduate school at DePaul University in 2012, Todd applied for the CoSIDA Postgraduate Scholarship and was awarded one of those as well.
 

“The CoSIDA scholarships were a game-changer for me,” said Todd, who now works with the Longhorn baseball team. “Receiving the undergraduate and postgraduate awards both eased a burden for me and also motivated me to get to where I am today. From college to pro baseball and now back in collegiate athletics, these awards helped shape my career and I could not be more grateful to CoSIDA for caring about the future of the industry.”

The Phil Langan Internship program has provided direct benefits to schools who have demonstrated a need for additional help, and has also given opportunity to those seeking experience. Bob Noss, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications at Wright State University, is a two-time recipient of the internship, which brought an additional member to his office in 1999 and again this year.

Noss saw budget cuts trim two full-time assistants from his staff in recent years, eventually leading to a one-man Division I operation during the 2017-18 school year.

“It has meant the world to me to have an intern this year,” Noss noted. “Having AJ (Schraffenberger) has allowed me to give him experience while also taking some things off my shoulders. It has made a great difference.”

Noss’ first intern through the program was Patty Hoppe, a former tennis player at Wright State. The addition of her position led to the school expanding its staff, until budget cuts took their toll years later.

“Having the intern position showed that we needed additional help and we were able to add another full-time position within a year or so. This program has been good for the university and my department and I would encourage people to give it a try. What do you have to lose?”

The lifestyle of an athletic communications professional extends far beyond our desks, often times having a direct effect on family, whose support is fundamental. It was with family in mind that the Member-Child Scholarship was created in 2014.

The program awards two new $1,000 scholarships every year which are renewable for up to four years. In the letter of application, many potential recipients note the role that athletic communications has played in their lives as they enter college.

Among the first to have received the scholarship all four years is Fiona Lefresne, daughter of Pete Lefresne, Director of Sports Marketing & Communications at Earlham College. Fiona is a senior majoring in athletic training at Missouri State, where she also assists the athletics communications office.

“Without question, the scholarship helps,” said the elder Lefresne. “Every little bit helps. For us, it goes directly to Fiona’s tuition and it’s less that she has to borrow and project what she has to pay back down the road. Being a CoSIDA member for a long time, it feels good to receive something back for all the years that we have put into this. She is benefitting from being around this business … in the gyms at Maine and Juniata … all the times I couldn’t be at her events because I was away working.”
 

(left) Pete Lefresne, currently of Earlham College, introduced his daughter Fiona to the world of athletics communications at a young age. (below) Fiona, an athletic training major at Missouri State, is one of the first to benefit from the CoSIDA Member-Child scholarship for four years. She and her brother Brandon both assist in the athletic communications office at MSU.

If you’re interested in applying for one of the CoSIDA scholarship programs, or know a student who might be interested, the scholarship committee is already accepting applications online through CoSIDA.com/scholarships. Deadlines are April 18, 2019 for the Member-Child and Undergraduate Scholarships and April 25, 2019 for the Phil Langan Internships and Postgraduate Scholarships.

“My advice to people is to apply — do yourself a favor and apply,” said Griesch. “Don’t use being busy or technical difficulties as an excuse. Apply or encourage your students to apply and see what happens. The people who are choosing your application are just like you. They may one day be the person who hires you. Take advantage of the program and apply.”

Seeley noted that continued success of the program could lead to increased opportunity.

“There really is a great chance of winning and as a piece of advice, I’d say put a little effort into the application and the chances are better than you think,” he said. “It’s vitally important to get the number of applications up. If we continue to see great interest, there’s no reason the program can’t continue to grow.”