College Sports Information Directors of America

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Note: This story appeared in the Fall 2020 November edition of CoSIDA 360 Magazine. To view the full magazine, click here. 

Cover Story

Staying Power

Members give the secret to overcoming obstacles and enjoying a long career in athletics communications.

by Beau White – CoSIDA Director of Creative Services

Passion. Relationships. Doing what you love.

If you were trying to sum up as succinctly as possible what keeps people in the college athletics communications business, those six words mostly say it all.

If only it were that simple.

We know that each year our business loses great people.

We hate it when good people choose to move on because, most of the time, we think they had to make the difficult decision of choosing between doing what they love (being an SID), and having a life, and it doesn’t seem fair. We should be able to have both.

For the eight people who responded to this story, they’ve been able to figure out how to have both.

And, wouldn’t you know it, most of them have had all the same thoughts that those who left had.

They understand mom and dad guilt. They feel you on the long hours and unfair pay. They know what it’s like to see others getting that promotion and wonder if there is something wrong with them. They’ve dealt with health issues, self-doubt and other personal problems.

And they stayed with their career passion. You can do it too.
 

What was your first year working in sports information and what year did you get your first full-time job?
 

Tami Cutler – Wichita State University, Associate AD/Strategic Communications
My first year working in sports info was 1996 as a freshman in college. I worked for four years as an undergrad at Doane College (now University) in the sports info office and then for two years as a grad assistant at Wichita State before earning a full-time job at Wichita State in 2002.

Sarah Meier – University of Colorado Colorado Springs, Associate Director of Athletics/Senior Woman Administrator
I began as a volunteer student worker with the St. Cloud State University Athletic Media Relations Department in 2000 following my senior season with the women’s basketball program, which then led to a two-year graduate assistantship with the Huskies. My first full-time job was at Fort Lewis College (Durango, Colo.) in August 2002.

Nancy Worley – University of Louisville, Associate Sports Information Director
My first year of working in sports information was an internship in my senior year at Valparaiso. Valpo then hired me after graduation to be the SID and basketball recruiting secretary for the low, low price of $8,000 per year. That is not a typo.

Earl Zukerman – McGill University, Communications Officer, Athletics and Recreation
I started working in the sports info office in 1979, during my senior year of an arts degree at McGill, and never left. I somehow managed to hang in as an intern, initially for eight years as a casual employee, through a series of nine-month contracts. I supplemented my income by working as a waiter in a restaurant and doing some freelance writing and reporting. In 1987, I was finally elevated to the SID level, although was still classified as a casual until a full-time appointment in 1991. Somehow, I managed to survive a lot of hurdles and am now entering my 42nd year at the McGill sports info office.

Chad Jenkins – MidAmerica Nazarene University, Sports Information Director
I started in 2005 as an assistant SID at my alma mater (Bethel-Indiana) while also working as an assistant baseball coach. The head women’s soccer coach was the main SID and covered his own sport in the fall while I did the other sports. Then when soccer was done, he took over everything except baseball. This was when athletics websites were in their infancy, so I was learning as the tech was growing. In 2007, my college baseball teammate/roommate/fellow assistant coach got the head coaching job at MNU, and he wanted an assistant. The university was also wanting to hire its first full-time SID, and my position at Bethel had recently been eliminated, so my wife and 6-week old first child moved from Indiana to Kansas 13 years ago.

Jenny Elder – Georgetown College, Sports Information Director
I was hired as full-time SID at Georgetown College (located in Georgetown, Kentucky) in February of 2010 after spending eight years in the newspaper business mostly as a sports writer, editor and photographer.

Kara Fisher – Michigan State University, Athletic Communications – Assistant Director
My intern season was the 1997-98 school year at the University of Florida, covering women’s soccer and ANYTHING else that came my way! An internship that paid overtime…WHAT? For my first full-time job, I stayed in the SEC and worked at the University of South Carolina from 1998-2001, doing men’s and women’s soccer and softball.

E.J. Borghetti – University of Pittsburgh, Executive Associate Athletic Director, Media Relations
I first stepped into a sports information office at the start of my junior year at Pittsburgh. Incredibly, that was the fall of 1990. I absolutely loved it from the start. Upon graduation in 1992, I worked as an intern at Columbia University for two years before ultimately gaining my first full-time appointment at Carnegie Mellon in 1995.

 

When you were in college or just getting started, what were your career goals? Have your goals changed as your career has progressed?

Cutler: When I started college, I wanted to be a sports television anchor. After working in the sports information office for a year, I changed goals to being an SID. As time has gone on, those goals have changed to leading a sports information department, to leading a whole external department and wherever else that takes me.

Meier: When I was on a recruiting visit at SCSU, I met with the athletic media relations director — now-retired Anne Abicht (a CoSIDA Hall of Famer) — and knew from then on working in sports information at the collegiate level was exactly what I wanted to do as a career. My goals haven’t necessarily changed since that visit.

Worley: In college, I was stringing for a lot of newspapers in the area, covering high school basketball. I loved that and that was my goal. However, as the only female sports writer in the area, I had to put up with some inappropriate behavior in the postgame locker rooms, coaches and from my sports writing colleagues. I have a high tolerance for bull**** and am very proficient at putting people straight either with humor or, if necessary, a straightforward assessment of their behavior. But it’s tiresome. I was offered a full-time job at the Hammond Times after I had worked two years in sports information and that made me realize I loved sports information. For my personality, it was a more natural fit to be the promoter of good news and positive portrayals rather than being adversarial as a sports writer/columnist.

Zukerman: My long-term goal was always working in the sports world. I had a strong interest in professional sports and the related statistics but never really knew what I wanted to do for a career until my senior year of college. I answered a classified ad in the student paper seeking a statistician for the varsity hockey team and that led to my discovery of the varsity sports world on campus. I also had an affinity for listening to sports radio and reading legendary sports columnists. As a result, I began writing for The McGill Daily student newspaper. That ignited a passion in me.

I began my sports info career covering the varsity hockey and football teams fixated on getting more media coverage than our opponents, and quickly earned the respect of the sports media. I came to realize this was my path and that I really wanted to be part of the sports media. By working as an SID, I felt attached to that world.

I furthered my education by enrolling into a diploma program for sports administration, followed by a certificate in journalism, advertising and public relations. A course in basic editing and effective written communication proved to be extremely beneficial. It provided the tools to cover numerous pro sporting events as a part-time stringer. Eventually, I landed my own sports show on the radio, which I did for seven years. It gave me access to the press box for all major sporting events, which was my element.

When I took over on a full-time basis at McGill, I was responsible for overseeing media coverage of all 50 varsity teams — a daunting, challenging task. But I was determined to make a difference in our media relations, to be better than any of our competitors and hopefully, force management to elevate my employment status to full-time.

I explored a few other opportunities, in newspapers, radio and with pro sports teams but I was established at McGill and would’ve had to start at a very entry level with a move.

Jenkins: My goals have always been pretty modest. I want time with my family and I want my SID work to be accurate and as well-done as possible. Obviously, there are some busy weeks and seasons that keep me at work for a long time. But during other times, the opposite is true. And summers are light so we take advantage of that. As my career has progressed, family time has become even more important.

Elder: I went to Emory & Henry College with the goals of graduating with a degree in mass communications to be a sports broadcaster. Check and check. Following graduation, I spent a year behind the scenes at a local television station and decided it was not where I wanted to be. I was hired by my hometown newspaper as the first female sports editor and spent the next seven years moving around from paper to paper. I had no desire to be a writer in college. I enjoy telling a story through written word, but was never a huge fan of English in school. I loved math. My path has diverted greatly from where I thought I would be, but in it all I see God’s hand and I’m exactly where I should be.

Fisher: I had the lofty goal of being the first female play-by-play announcer for the St. Louis Cardinals! Very naïve, but I knew that I wanted to work in sports, and had to see how I fit into that puzzle. As I worked through college, I realized that my best fit wasn’t as a journalist, and that’s when I found this craziness that is athletic communications. I loved being behind the scenes and not being the center of attention. Now, I really love helping young people secure their brand and speak for themselves to the best of their abilities. Being “behind the scenes” looks a lot different than it used to and involves a lot more devices, but I still love those basics. Now more than ever, student-athletes have a very strong voice and they deserve to be heard, and I want to help them find that voice. I have spent more time the last few months, helping the Diversity Leadership Committee here at Michigan State, as it navigates the complex waters that we face now.

Borghetti: Midway through my senior year, I had a vague idea of going to law school. My dad said to me one day, “Do you really want to go to law school?”

So many people choose career paths because it “sounds good” or it meets someone else’s expectations. He told me to pursue what I was truly interested in and noted my enthusiasm for working in Pitt’s sports information office. A light went on. I finally could write the answer to the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” My last semester at Pitt I fully focused on pursuing a career in college athletics from a communications standpoint. I was so lucky to have the mentorship and encouragement that I did, both at home and in Pitt’s SID office.

It was always my goal to come back to Pitt, which is not only my alma mater, but also my father’s. He played football for the Panthers in the early 1960s so I grew up surrounded by Blue and Gold. I was able to achieve that goal five years after graduation and have been richly blessed to work on behalf of the university for the past 23 years. I never aspired to have a corner office or some long title on a business card. My aspirations have always centered on being an asset for the people of Pitt. In retrospect, perhaps that mentality did allow me to make some personal advancements along the way. But to whom more is given, more is expected. Anytime I received a promotion, I didn’t think of it as being about me. I was being charged with a larger responsibility in order to serve our student-athletes, coaches and staff. To whom more is given, more is expected.

I think this is a profession of passion, and if you aren’t passionate about the people and place you are working for, you certainly can lose a spark given the hours and nature of the business. Fortunately, I’ve never lost that drive. That’s more of a positive reflection on the University of Pittsburgh than it is me. I’ve been very fortunate to work for encouraging and supportive people, whether it’s coaches or administrators.

 

As you look back on your career so far, what has been the most rewarding thing to you?

Cutler: All the relationships that I’ve been able to create. I’ve been lucky to meet people from all across the country and develop friendships with these amazing people; from student-athletes and coaches to grad assistants and full-time employees at Wichita State to SIDs at other schools and local and national media members.

Meier: For me, it’s been the relationships that have been built over the years — with the student-athletes, the athletic department and the campus and town communities. It’s awesome to watch the student-athletes succeed on and off the field and watch them turn into young leaders. It’s been greatly rewarding to have my three kids grow up and constantly be around strong role models (student-athletes, coaches and athletic staff).

Worley: I am a people person and what has been most rewarding is the relationships with the athletes that I have nurtured far beyond their four years. My cell phone contains enough contact information to make our alumni department green with envy. Through social media, I have maintained relationships with all the athletes from the sports I have worked with and that’s the most rewarding. Plus, I’ve had a choice seat to some of the most outstanding games, matches, meets and races in the world. 

Zukerman: Making lifelong friends and earning respect from coaches, athletes, my peers in the CoSIDA world and especially in the media.

Jenkins: I feel like my calling is to positively impact whomever I come in contact with while doing this job including student workers, fellow SIDs, coaches, athletes, and others. There shouldn’t be any bad days. So when someone comes away from working a game with me, it’s rewarding when I know someone’s heavy day was lightened. As far as professionally rewarding, MNU women’s basketball winning the NAIA D1 National Championship in 2016 gave me the only concrete goal I ever set. I just wanted the chance to be part of one national championship.

Elder: Seeing and being a part of so many goals accomplished for so many wonderful coaches and athletes, whether it be academically, professionally, on the court/field or personally. Building those relationships and staying in touch with so many wonderful people, even going back to my newspaper days.

Fisher: I have always enjoyed watching the growth of our student-athletes, such as a young freshman —once terrified to talk to a student reporter — who emerges as a well-spoken leader by their senior season. It’s amazing to see these young people reach the next level professionally and find their voice personally. As for myself, I’m proud of the fact that I’ve faced obstacles, such as health and lack of confidence, head on and am still here doing what I love.

Borghetti: When asked what has been most rewarding during my career, I always answer without hesitation: the personal relationships. I’ve been so fortunate to form so many friendships over the years through my work in sports information. Former athletes, bosses, co-workers and media members. You put so many hours in together. You savor wins, pick each other up after losses. A real bond forms there. Those are the relationships that keep you going, keep you smiling, especially during more challenging times.

 

What has been the most difficult part of your career? Did you ever seriously consider other career options and how did you get through it?

Cutler: The most difficult part for me was right after I had kids. Trying to balance all the work hours and travel as a baseball SID, while having little kids was really hard. There’s a lot of mom guilt involved. I was always missing something and definitely thought about getting out of the profession at that time. It seemed too overwhelming to try to balance all of it. At the end of the day, this is what I love to do. I needed to figure out a way to do it all — be a mom and have a career that I love. I learned to multi-task even better than I did before and use every second to work ahead. When traveling with the team, I used every minute on the bus or waiting in airports to work ahead. I learned to leave the office at a decent time when I had a free night so I was able to be present for my family. I realized that not everything at work needed to be max effort. Sometimes good is good enough.

Meier: Having three kids and trying to manage 60-80 plus hours a week during the school year while being a mom can be challenging, not to mention as they get older and are playing sports. But with challenges, there are also rewards. For example, a lot of times my kids can come to campus and watch the games or play in the gym and outside while I’m working (at least before COVID ). Fortunately, I have a great supportive husband who understands my job and is able to be with the kids and support them in their schoolwork and home life which helps balance my work schedule. I’ve never really considered other career options, I just love being involved in college athletics.

Worley: I was one of the first female SIDs to have kids, the first to have a grandchild. The profession was partly to blame for my divorce which forced me into single parenthood. I was one of two single female parents in CoSIDA. And of course, wow, did we bond. It was incredibly difficult to travel when I had to find someone to watch my kids, pack for me, pack for them, get all their homework and papers signed, etc. It was absolutely brutal for 10 years. I remarried and my second husband, now a retired police officer, understood weird schedules, working holidays and putting in hours. His hard work on the home front helped me right my ship and move forward. 

Zukerman: So many things made me question if I could continue. What probably saved me in terms of staying in the sports info position was being somewhat introverted and single, which meant that I could focus on work, without the responsibilities of an immediate family to take care of. I was driven to avoid giving up from a young age and chose to sacrifice a personal life, for the most part. My student-interns, the coaches, athletes and to some extent, the media, were like a substitute family for me. I seriously considered other career options a couple of times, with freelance writing and dabbling in radio, doing a weekly sports call-in show for seven years. But I was well-established and comfortable at McGill and wasn’t prepared to gamble on moving elsewhere to a starting position.

Jenkins: This is a common issue I hear about often, and I must be blessed because I can’t relate at all. Some institutions have toxic environments where the SID is hardly valued, but I’ve received nothing but respect and appreciation from my coaches and administrators. And it’s not because I’m awesome — I’ve made plenty of significant mistakes — but I believe the culture of this department has fostered a positive working environment. As for burnout…no. In candid moments I often say that I can’t believe I get paid to do this. My kids are approaching high school sports, and maybe if I miss a few of their games then I might consider reorganizing my situation. But I’ve never seriously considered another career. I’m well aware of my strengths and weaknesses, and this profession fits me perfectly.

Elder: The lack of pay raises and slow progress of building a staff are two of the challenges that make being a small college SID difficult, however; the family you build with coaches, administration, students and fans is second to none. Relationships, at the end of the day, are what make everything worth it. If you love who you are doing this for and with, the difficulties fade away. God will take care of the rest. He’s blessed me every year I’m in this job, and I know He has me where He wants me. I’m called to be here at Georgetown College, doing what I’m doing. I pray that I am as much of a blessing to this campus and family as they have been to me.

Fisher: I am a walking episode of House (the TV show), as my husband so lovingly says! So, I have dealt with some health setbacks that make these hours a little tough at times. Doing “whatever it takes to get the job done” isn’t always the best plan. It’s hard to appear not “up to the challenge,” when your body betrays you. So, I have considered other career options as a form of self-preservation, but at the end of the day, we stay because it’s in our DNA. I also recommend marrying an SID that can cover for you when your body breaks down!

Borghetti: Looking back, the most challenging times of my career were at the beginning, trying to get established and working through self-doubts. When speaking to college seniors who are pursuing their first full-time jobs, I always tell them the best quality you can have is perseverance. Many doors are closed, or appear closed, but persistence is a magical thing. That same persistence will serve you well throughout your career and life. The greatest rebounders aren’t necessarily the tallest players on the floor. What they have is tenacity and a relentlessness. That mentality will get you the ball off the backboard and it will also help you achieve in life.

I’m extremely fortunate to have a wife who understands and supports my professional duties. We met at Pitt, so she had an up-close view very early on of what my profession entails and can demand. As a married couple, and now as the parents of three children, we certainly have had to adjust and adapt to balancing the personal and professional aspects of life. Working for supportive people at Pitt—supportive of one’s professional pursuits and, more importantly, family considerations — is such a blessing. That I’ve been able to work in this field as long as I have is far more a credit to my family and bosses than it is to me.

 

CoSIDA’s 2020 Salary Survey indicated that members in their 30s are the most frustrated with their jobs. Anecdotally, this is largely due to being new parents, not getting raises they feel they deserve or not getting promoted. Can you relate to that, and what advice would you give to someone in that demographic?

Cutler: I can absolutely relate. It took a very long time for me to move up in this profession. It’s exhausting to be stressed about money all of the time. I think that we are a group that spends all of our time and energy promoting our student-athletes, coaches and programs and unfortunately, we don’t do that for ourselves. We need to do a better job of advocating for this profession and its role in the athletic department.

Meier: I’m very passionate about college athletics and sports information and I love the field I’m in, so when there have been frustrations, it’s very easy to re-center and appreciate that I’ve been given opportunities to live my dream. Having that passion has helped me stay in this field for so long without getting burned out. If working in this field is something you’re passionate about, then it’s worth sticking with it. Even though there are long days, weeks, and months, there are also great rewards and experiences in this field. It’s how you hold your perspective.

Worley: All SIDs can relate to this. I don’t know of a single SID who could say with a straight face “boy, I am stealing money, I’d do this for free.” I explain this to outsiders in this way: If you were the head of PR for a $126 million-dollar business (or whatever your athletic budget runs) would you make what you make? Probably not. Probably much more. Promotions are tricky in our business because they aren’t always clear-cut. Or, to advance you may have to relocate which can be problematic in a two-career family, so that avenue is often closed off to us. Family comes first. Don’t put them secondary to a business that will never put you first. We have several former UofL SIDs that got out of the business and stayed in the area and they get their fix by doing TV stats, serving on stat crews or stringing for newspapers.

Zukerman: I can easily relate to this and if I had a family to support, I probably would not have lasted one decade in a position that requires you to be available 24/7, especially on weekends. For the most part, it’s a rewarding profession but most of us are overworked and underpaid and you just have to be aware of that before making that career choice. The burnout rate is probably higher than most professions and the only advice that I can think of would be to surround yourself with reliable staff who can assist taking some of the workload from your shoulders. If you are prepared to seek and accept the help of others, life might be a little easier.

Jenkins: This job isn’t conducive to financially supporting a family on its own. My wife also works, so with two incomes we do fine. I’m generally a contented person, so I can’t relate to getting snubbed out of raises or promotions. My advice would be to make yourself valuable and irreplaceable. But if that were easy to do, we’d all be making a lot more money.

Elder: I can most definitely relate to those feelings, but at the end of the day, if you work with a group that feels like family those other needs will be met as well. I don’t have a husband or children, but two years ago my dad fought cancer. No other job in the world, in my opinion, would have allowed me such abilities to be around him through the fight and get that last year of his life where I don’t have to look back and think, did I take care of him as much as I could, did I support my mom as best I could. My Georgetown family, my student workers, my adult volunteers and my conference SIDs had my back at every turn, and I will forever be grateful for that. Financially, while I certainly feel I should make more, at the end of the day God meets all my needs in so many ways. I’m blessed with a house of my own. I’ve never gone hungry. I travel to see my sister in California. I get to see my cousins in North Carolina and Virginia. If you focus on what makes the job tough, it’s easy to walk away. You have to focus on why you love it and how it blesses you or you just won’t make it and you might walk away from the best job you might ever have.

Fisher: We’ve all been there when we see people climbing up the ranks, and wonder what we’re doing wrong. People always think our jobs are cool, but we in turn want the jobs with the money and the free weekends. I remember the days holding my breath and checking the bank account to see if we made it through to the next paycheck. This job is NEVER going to be about the glory or the paycheck. You have to be ok with that fact, or it will turn against you. 

 

Do you have any advice or strategies that helped you advance in the profession to the position you wanted?

Cutler: Always be willing to help. I always enjoy learning new things so if there was an opportunity to learn something in a different department or with a different sport, I took it. I always like to be a sponge, soak up as much knowledge as I can. You never know when you might use a new skill. Don’t be afraid to try new things. We sometimes get stuck in our ways, but there could be better ways to do things if we are willing to try them.

Meier: Never stop learning and take opportunities to gain experience. It doesn’t matter how new you are to the field or how long you’ve been in the field, there’s always room to grow and learn new tasks.

Worley: Do the work. Meet the deadlines. Be proactive. Pick your battles. Kill them with kindness. Answer your email and voice mails as soon as you can, even if it’s to say, ‘I don’t know yet.’ Attack a big project or problem by chopping it up and doing the hard part first. Most importantly, learn to laugh at yourself. Lastly, don’t expect coaches to say thank you. A lot of them do, of course. But a lot of them don’t and if you work for their approval, you will never be happy.

Zukerman: This type of work requires an individual who is focused, driven, loyal, discreet, honest and well-prepared — someone who pays attention to detail. If you’re not willing to do that, then you should only consider this rewarding profession as a stepping stone to another one. Put your nose to the grindstone, be thick-skinned, have a small ego and don’t be afraid to reach out to your CoSIDA colleagues when times are tough, both for you or for them. Also, be prepared to have frank discussions about your worth with supervisors — many of whom do not really understand SID work — and show them your value to the organization.

Jenkins: Be so reliable that you’re taken for granted. SIDs are like refs and cops and nurses and athletic trainers and plenty of other underappreciated folks; we’re only noticed when we screw up. “Why didn’t my halftime stats get delivered to the locker room?!” Sorry about that (I had to fix a missed assist and scold the camera guy and troubleshoot the video streaming and find the music cord and replace a cable and unjam the copier), here you go.

Elder: Relationships. It’s all about connecting with people. I got into this business because eight years in the newspaper sports world I had made a bond with the previous SID at Georgetown College. When she was ready to retire, she gave me a call and encouraged me to apply. God had planted a seed about being an SID four or five years previous when I was at a newspaper in Virginia. It’s a blessing to be able to watch how that unfolded and look back at the first time I thought about it, to where I had grown when I finally became a SID.

Fisher: I’m not great at small talk, so networking isn’t always the easiest for me. But I will always be grateful for the opportunities afforded to me working in the SEC and at the WAC in my early days. I’d say volunteer for anything and everything. I had the chance to work NCAA Tournaments, bowl games and NCAA College Cups. Learning from peers, growing from not so pleasant encounters with coaches and the always fun experience of being a timeout coordinator at an NCAA Tournament taught me so much. Working an SEC Track Championship helped me get a full-time job, working a WAC Football Media Day got me a husband (kind of kidding), but seriously those experiences shaped me in so many ways.

During the last few difficult months, I’ve loved getting to know more people via zoom with CoSIDA Happy Hours and the amazing folks at BCSIDA. We can always grow and build our community for bigger and better tomorrows.

Borghetti: Never lose the student mentality. Never stop learning or craving new knowledge. Our profession is changing so dramatically. The “old way” is not the only way or the best way. As communications professionals, our minds need to be wide open to this new vast universe we have at our disposal to reach our audiences. Our field has never been more dynamic in that regard.

That said, even though we can communicate in so many different and new ways, we should never forget personal engagement. The best relationships are formed when you invest yourself personally in them. Not by an email, a tweet or text. The true foundation is built by true personal interactions. The pandemic certainly presents hurdles in that regard, but there really is no substitute for hearing someone else’s voice on the phone or looking someone in the eye, either across a desk or, if need be, via video conference. Be more than just a Twitter handle or email address.

 

  

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SIDEBAR

We talk about relationships, which are so key, but BALANCE is the other thing that helps with longevity, I think.

by Jenny Elder – Georgetown College

I’ve found ways in all the insanity of this job to see my blood relatives, which is extremely important to me.

I also volunteer in the children’s department at my church. Kids have such pure joy, it’s hard to be negative or frustrated around them, and their energy keeps me young.

Finding time to workout has been a saving grace. It’s all too easy in this business to eat a bunch of fast food, grabbing meals on the go. It’s also easy to let working out slide. Trying to make better eating decision as well as physically working out has been important in the past five years. Making it a priority and finding times has kept me healthy as well as given me an avenue to put my body and mind in the right frame of mind. I sleep better and feel better and thus everything goes better.

The final thing I’ve added in my life is I picked up my officials license for soccer and in the summer or when I can in the spring, I officiate soccer. It makes me some extra money as well as puts me back in touch with a game I love so much in a different way.

Prioritizing balance and relationships has helped to keep me grounded and settled even in the toughest of times.

 

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SIDEBAR

A CoSIDA Hall of Famer Reflects on a Long Career

by Bill Hamilton – South Carolina State University, Retired SID/Sports Historian

When my alma mater, South Carolina State University, gave me — a young, recent college graduate — my first title as as a public information specialist in July of 1973, I never envisioned it would lead to a career in a profession that I have found both enjoyable and rewarding.

I felt my hiring some 47 years ago would be a stepping stone to someplace else; however, it turned into a lifelong vocation. I retired (transition might be a better word) in 2013 but returned to the office four days a week as a part-time employee and later as a volunteer. I remain engaged with the university today, assisting with several sports and special projects.

I began my career in the public relations office as there was no sports information department at the time. Two years later, in 1975, I was named the first full-time sports information director at the university, but continued to work out of the Public Relations Office, sharing a secretary, which came under the Vice President for Institutional Advancement umbrella.

Front the beginning, I enjoyed telling the SC State story, promoting the sports program. Today, I’m especially excited and grateful that I’m allowed to stay engaged as I enjoy the interaction with players, coaches, other SC State stakeholders and many colleagues throughout the profession. I embraced the job and never seriously considered changing professions.

Early in my career, athletic teams at the university enjoyed enormous success and as a one-person shop there was great demand on my time. However, I was single, without a care in the world and had no aversion to working long hours and traveling. The pay was not great but I was able to make do. Even today, I think people in our profession are underpaid; however, the perks that came with the position helped.

I got married in 1983 and family life and work became a juggling act. Somehow I persevered, relying heavily on students. I was fortunate in finding good, dedicated and committed students, who were quick learners. My late wife and I didn’t have any children so she was able to join me on some road trips, making things a little more palatable to her.

In the early 90s, I physically moved to the Athletics Department, answering directly to the director of athletics and was given my own budget. In 2001, after 28 years, I got my first full-time assistant. A second was added two years later. Life became a lot easier and more enjoyable.

Our profession is often times a thankless one. So many do not know what we do until something is not done or goes wrong. It’s important to not get discouraged. I often engaged my boss about raises, bonuses, assistants and any tools that would help me do a better job. Many times, the response was surprising and positive.  

 

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