Customer service goes a long way

First and foremost, let me just say I am not a big fan of the DakStats software. Their stats software has improved over the years and having a national statistics website for the NAIA is great, but I love Stat Crew and their product for in-game stats keeping. As far as stat software products go, Stat Crew is the best in my humble opinion.

That said, one thing DakStats does do extremely well - and better than any other stats software company I have ever dealt with - is how the work and deal with their customers.

#SIDChat Transcript for February 2

Had some newcomers join us on #SIDChat this week, and fun was had by all.

Several topics were discussed including how to best describe what sports information directors do, gaining respect from others in our department and at our school and much, much more.

Better late than never: My goals for 2011

Yes, this blog post is over three weeks late, but I've been busy dealing with snow, work, kids, school, life and yada, yada, yada. Of course, as a sports information director, life is always busy.

But I wanted to get my goals for the new year written down and posted here to help me 'keep my on the prize' as the old saying goes.

I've got two different sets of goals: a list for my personal/family life and another for my professional world. This is in large part thanks to a question poised to SIDs by Chris Syme on LinkedIn.

#SIDChat Transcript for January 5

The new year saw the return of #SIDChat, and a large crowd made it a great one.

We had 39 different people to log in at some point during the chat and up to 25 on at one time.

Topics discussed included goals for the new year, what changes to the profession might come in 2011 and much, much more.

I love my job, but ...

I'm not going to lie: I love my job.

There isn't anything I'd rather be doing professionally than being a sports information director. (OK, that's a lie. I'd love to be a pro athlete, but well, that ship sailed long before I ever reached the dock.)

Getting to work in athletics is a blast. Ninety-nine times out of 100 this job doesn't feel like a job. No two days ever are the same, and there's always something new happening.

Yet, there is one thing I am not a fan of, and I'm going through it right now.

You know it's crossover season when ...

It's the most _________ time of the year.

Yes, it's crossover season, and I will let you fill in the blank however you feel. It's absolutely the craziest, maddening, head-spinning, sleep-depriving time of the year.

Sometimes, you just have to take time

We all know sports information directors have a crazy, busy, hectic life. It doesn't matter the time of year, there is ALWAYS something to do and work on.

For me, life has become increasingly busy on Mondays. Mondays were bad to begin with thanks to weekly conference player of the week honors and awards day, but now that I'm the conference SID, it is even more so.

#SIDChat Transcript for September 15

Another week, another #SIDChat.

Had great and lively discussion over a variety of topics such as working with the campus PR office, crisis communication, rebuilding a coach's faith in the sports info office and much, much more.

This is an embarrassment to the profession

Sometimes enough is enough, and today I've had ENOUGH!

One of the best parts of our role as a sports information director, in my humble opinion, is to promote the amazing student-athletes who cross our path and do what we can to get them all the recognition possible. One of the best ways to do this is the weekly conference and national player of the week awards.

However, glitches are occurring which could derail a deserving student-athlete from getting the accolades they are due.

It's the most wonderful time of the year

It's the night before the football opener, and all through the house, SIDs were scurrying and working the mouse.

Oh, how I wish I had the time right now to re-write 'The Night before Christmas' to reflect my love for working a football game. I love football Saturday. There is nothing like it. My beautiful bride says it's because I'm out of the house all day, but it simply isn't so.

#SIDChat Transcript for September 1

Another week, another #SIDChat.

This week's conversation centered around how to make the most out of our down time, how to make sure we get some time to ourselves and how to handle a reporter who 'fabricated' a story about your athletic department.

It will always be there tomorrow

This is a crazy time of year. There is so much needing to get done.

Media guides to print. Bios to update online. Team and player photos to take, crop and post. Stories to write. Seasons to set up Stat Crew. Rosters to type in.

It is a vicious, never-ending cycle.

Words can not express

Indulge me as I speak straight from my heart for a bit.

Thirteen years ago today, Genople Wagers accepted my hand in marriage. Little did we know what a wild, crazy ride it would and continues to be.

Never underestimate the power of rest

Like most others in sports information, when I latch on to and/or buy into a project, I dive in and like to work as long and as hard as possible to complete the task.

My thinking is: the more I pour myself into this, the quicker it'll get done.

Now, doing this more often than not gets the project done on time, but it might not be the best it could be.

Sometimes when working long and hard on a project, it is good to take a step back from it and take a break.

#SIDChat Transcript for August 3

Another week, another great #SIDChat.

Had a great discussion on making your role as a SID more visible on your campus and within your department, becoming your own media as well as a few other topics.

Why I run

For those of you who have not heard, I've started running. And despite the fact that I honestly can not remember the last time I ran in a race, I'm training to run a half-marathon.

Yes, you read that correctly: a HALF-MARATHON. Thirteen-point-one miles.

I am signed up to run a half-marathon in Columbus, Ohio, on October 17. Going to run with good friend and fellow SID Dave Parsons.

And the scary part of it all? I am enjoying it.

Not interactive online? Then what's the hold up?

The sports information profession has endured a vast number of changes throughout the years. There was once a time press releases were hammered out on a typewriter, scores and stories were called in to newspapers individually and dictated and stats were done by hand.

Word processors and PCs made life a little easier in the late 1980s and 1990s as did the fax machine. And the gods smiled down on SIDs in the mid-1990s with birth of Stat Crew.

But the biggest advancement  (or headache, depending on how you look at it) to the profession has been the Internet.

Too many people to thank

Last weekend, I was blessed and honored by the NAIA and NAIA-SIDA as I received the 2010 Clarence "Ike" Pearson Award for outstanding service in sports information.

I can not begin to express how humbling it is for me to join the previous 33 Pearson Award winners in this exclusive club. To read the names of the previous award recipients is like reading a list of the "Who's Who in Sports Information." Not quite sure I deserve to be grouped with such company, but I grateful to be included among the best of the best.

There are so many people I would like to thank and I acknowledged most during my acceptance speech last week at Menlo (Calif.) College during the NAIA-SIDA luncheon. However, not everyone could be there, so I want to publicly thank everyone here.

First impressions matter

WARNING: I am now stepping up on my soapbox.

I really do not understand people and their actions at times, especially upon their first verbal interaction with someone either face-to-face or on the phone.

Before I go any further, let me just say this: First impressions matter, and a bad first impression can be a difficult thing to overcome.

My thoughts on an umpire's missed call

As most anyone who knows me for very long, I am a huge baseball fan. I love the game.

So imagine my glee when I noticed while online that Detroit Tiger pitcher Armando Galarraga had a perfect game going through the seventh inning. Immediately, I turned on the online webcast of the game to listen to the Tiger broadcasts call a potentially historic finish.

As the game moved to the ninth, I flipped my television on ESPN to view the action while calling Jayson, my 9-year-son, so he could watch it with me because he too is a baseball nut.

What unfolded from that point on was nothing like anything I ever expected to see.