Dispatches from the Press Box

Sports Information Director at Arkansas Tech University. Executive Director and President of Phi Lambda Chi National Fraternity. Native of Flint, Michigan. Aspiring athletics administrator. Proud husband and father. Student, historian, and armchair economist.

[ptsmith109]

Reblogging from Facebook

I posted this on facebook last night because this is a subject near to my heart. I'm overwhelmed by the responses I got. I've generally saved this spot for commenting on professional issues, but I'm sharing it here because you never know when you may be able to reach someone in need.

Okay, folks, I'm going to throw this out there because it seems timely in the immediate aftermath of the apparent Robin Williams suicide. Most people know someone who has committed suicide. I knew six, none of whom were simply passing acquaintances. Depression is a terrible, horrible thing. It's also a very real thing and it's not a character flaw. If any of you out there are reading this and have ever entertained suicidal thoughts, let me tell you this - you are loved. I can't tell you I understand what you're going through. I can't tell you I know how to make things better. But if you're reading this, take this one message to heart - you are loved and you are not alone. There is help out there, but there's a catch - you have to stay here to get it. I feel strongly about this because being left behind really sucks. Burying people before their time really sucks. And if I have one regret - in each case - it is that I did not take an opportunity to say "I love you and I care." Maybe I was too blind to see the signs then, and maybe I still am. So if I am, I love you and I care. And chances are, I'm not the only one who feels that way. </soapbox>

[ptsmith109]

I presented at CoSIDA about using social media to become your own primary outlet. Clemson is doing the right thing with this.

[ptsmith109]

My wife and kids headed to Michigan to jump-start our vacation, so I spent Father's Day without them. Luckily for me, my dad was here for his 50-year class reunion, so I got to spend it with him. If I turn out to be half the dad to my kids that he has been to me, they will be lucky.

[ptsmith109]

The travels continue!

Couldn't be happier to be back in Arkansas. By this time next week I will be in New England, and then a week after that, preparing to head to Michigan. At this pace, I am going to need a break from summer break. But I wouldn't change a thing.

[ptsmith109]

Rethinking the importance of traditional media in a social media world or "How I learned to stop worrying"

I was recently asked to be a part of the "Effective Social Media Practices" panel as part of Divisional Day at CoSIDA. As I thought about the angle I wanted to take with my portion of the presentation, I looked over the convention schedule to get an idea for what was going to be presented.

I'm not a big fan of wasting time. I like to find the quickest and most efficient path between points A and B.

So, as I continued to kick ideas around in my head, I flashed back to a day about eight years ago when I was reading the local newspaper on a slow day in the office. The town had a small weekly newspaper that was running (and burying) most press releases we sent, but devoting plenty of space to the "community news" section, where folks from small communities in the country would write in about who got phone calls from out of town, who went to the doctor, and things like that.It was maddening. Even more maddening were the big photos that the paper would publish big photos of a local third grader who had shot his first buck.

It caused me a lot of unnecessary stress.

The state media was another item entirely. It was very clear that the major media outlets were focused on the Arkansas Razorbacks and the rest of us - there are now four other Division I institutions in the state and seven Division IIs, not to mention the NAIA and Division III schools - don't get a piece of the pie when it comes to the media. We're left scrounging for crumbs.

I once joked that one of our teams could win a national title, and the local paper's headline would be "Third Grader Shoots Six-Point Buck On Opening Day of Season", and you'd have to turn to page six to read my press release.

I've thought and heard every emotional argument about why this isn't fair, and how it affects our kids, and so on and so forth... but I think the focus on that is completely unproductive.

Whether media outlets will admit it or not, the main focus is all about sales, ad buys, and ratings. Period.

The big state media in Arkansas cover the Razorbacks because that's what the great majority of fans want.

The local newspaper runs a story about Billy Joe's gout flaring up because that's what the people who drop 75 cents a week to buy the paper want to read.

Bemoaning those things is no more productive than complaining about the rain.

"What you're supposed to do when you don't like a thing is change it. If you can't change it, change the way you think about it." - Dr. Maya Angelou

Whether you work in a large school or a small one, your most valuable resource is your time. No matter what your budget, no matter how many students you have, as a professional, your time is the most valuable resource you have to work with.

As such, we need to protect that resource more than any other, and when we spend time worrying about the things we can't change, or making futile complaints about things we can't change, we're guaranteed one thing - to get a horrible return on our investment.

Athletic communications went through a major change several years ago when traditional media guides, by and large, went away.

May 28, 2009 was a huge day in our business - it was the day that Michigan, Ohio State, and Wisconsin all announced that they were going to stop printing media guides, resulting in a combined savings of $750,000 per year at the three schools.

“New initiatives will have to be developed to allow media, recruits, alumni and fans to follow our teams. Social networking already plays a role in our communication plan and new platforms will continue to develop.” -Gene Smith, Director of Athletics, Ohio State

That prescient quote came from that same day in 2009. As we've gone forward, his words continue to ring true.

Still, many of us judge our success by external coverage. In some markets, and some situations, perhaps that's a fair metric. However, I would argue that the importance of external media to our success is highly overrated.

Here's why.

The audience of traditional media is aging rapidly, and newspapers and television are doing a horrible job appealing to the younger consumer.

Some quick numbers:

Less than 10% of the population under the age of 30 regularly reads a newspaper.

Nearly 50% of the population over the age of 60 regularly reads a newspaper.

74% of newspaper readership is concentrated in people over the age of 45.

The daily newspaper just isn't as big a part of American life anymore. The audience has contracted - hence the large amount of layoffs and closures in the newspaper business - and will eventually contract to the point that publishers either won't be able to attract advertisers, or will not be able to print profitably due to economy of scale.

The issues with newspapers are well-documented. I would argue that television faces a similar issue.

To back this up, I point to the advertising buys. When I was presenting in Orlando, I asked my audience how many of them watched the nightly news on television. Less than half of the hands in the room went up. I followed up by asking what sort of advertisements they saw on the nightly news.

"Cialis!" was the first product called out.

It's easy to judge the audience of a television program by the types of advertisements run on the programs, and over 2/3 of NBC Nightly News' ad base comes from pharmaceuticals or other personal care items.

A 30-second spot (2011 numbers) on one of the "big three" nightly news shows (ABC, CBS, NBC) runs between $23,000-$45,000. In 2011, buying a 30-second spot on the Fox show "House" cost nearly $200,000.

What's the big takeaway from all of this?

"Newspapers aren't dying, our readers are." -Anonymous Chicago Sun-Times Writer

The advertisers have already started to make the move away from traditional forms of media because they're simply not as effective anymore unless it's an event targeted for mass consumption - like the Super Bowl.

The "smart money" realizes that the most important concept is how receptive viewers are to the message.

"If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always had." - Henry Ford

The time has long since passed for us to rethink our relationship with traditional media. We may not have realized it yet, but with the proliferation of internet websites, we have evened the playing field with the traditional media. With social media, we have taken the upper hand.

Social media and increasingly dynamic websites gives us the chance to be our own media outlets, our own media centers. More to the point, we have full control over our message through our channels.

The users are younger, and in the demographic that we need to be reaching. The average facebook user? 40.5 years old. Twitter? 37.3 years old. Instagram? 28 years old. And the beauty about those customers? They're plugged in to the internet, and once you've convinced them to "like" you on facebook or "follow" you on other channels, you can use those active resources to drive traffic back to your passive resources, such as your website.

In short, we can do what we wanted - or hoped - the media would do for us, and we can do it better and in some cases, cheaper.

Video content? Small schools are doing it with little more than an iPhone. Event streaming? Some small schools put on a TV-ready production for their internet audience. The technological revolution in our industry has given those of us who are starving for coverage a built-in cure for our media dependency.

The beautiful thing about our "product" is we don't need a third-party vendor to distribute it anymore. In the days of websites, maybe we needed to operate a little bit like Coca-Cola. We generate content, but unless we can get stores to carry and sell it, the business wouldn't make it.

Today? We have our own one-stop shop. We have the ability to distribute our content just as well as the traditional media, and in doing so, make sure that we stay "on message".

We can be our own primary channel. And by tempering our expectations on what third parties will do, and not wasting time trying to make sense of why we don't get the external coverage we want, we can devote that time to developing more dynamic content, or other activities that have a far higher ROI.

We have control of the means of distribution. That gives us an incredible advantage.

Although in a sense this turns the media into a bit of a competitor, I'm not at all advocating for an adversarial position. I'm still going to send them everything, occasionally pitch human-interest stories, and maintain a cordial relationship.

However, I will do so knowing that at the end of the day, their focus on the "big dogs" is not personal, and I will not feel slighted if they play to their audience. What I will do, however, is continue to study the most effective ways to get our message out into the hands of the public and devote my resources accordingly.

The media is no longer as important to us as it was. It has been passed by vehicles that allow us to have more control than we have ever had in getting our messages out.

We're in the driver's seat. Let's drive.

[ptsmith109]

"Be yourself. Everyone else is taken." - Oscar Wilde

[ptsmith109]

On Goals, Development, and Attitude

Well, I've taken a bit of a sabbatical from blogging on Tumblr lately, but hopefully that's about to end.

You see, I've been balancing my new role as CEO of my old college fraternity with my full-time job and of my most important role - husband and father. It's a full plate, but I'm handling it.

I can't put my finger on why - but I'm feeling the need to put some thoughts down on this blog yet again.

Over the last year, I've been asked to take on some additional roles outside of my job description. They're tasks that I'm happy to have taken on, because they allow me to showcase a broader set of skills than my position would allow me to do if I were only to fulfill the duties as described in the written job description.

They are opportunities that I believe I would not have had the chance to take on had I not devoted myself to becoming a better professional.

You see, I'll make no secret about the fact that I don't intend to spend the rest of my career in Sports Information. By July 1 of 2015, I'd like to be serving as (at least) an Assistant AD with my eyes on becoming an Athletic Director.

In my mind, there is only one way to get there - and that's by being the best SID I can possibly be.

I've spoken with people who have eschewed getting better for fear of getting typecast or pigeonholed. But to me, that just guarantees that you'll never advance above your current station - because how good - how motivated - can you be if you believe you're better than your job?

There's a quote that's often (mis?) attributed to Abraham Lincoln - "Whatever you are, be a good one." And I think that's a mantra we need to have no matter what it is we do. Because professional development and advancement isn't about being too good for our jobs, it's about embracing our jobs, distinguishing ourselves at our jobs, and displaying that our desire (and ability) to better ourselves may prove valuable in areas outside our current specialty.

When it comes to improvement, we must approach that task with a sense of humility. I've long believed that there's no such thing as a "new" idea. All the "new" ideas have been developed by people a lot smarter than I. Sometimes the inspiration or ideas are found in the unlikeliest of places. 

I know that all I can do is take those ideas and see if they'll apply to my current situation, or if I can improve upon them. But make no mistake, if I see someone doing something that beats what I'm doing, I want to find out how they're doing it and whether or not I can bring the idea home with me.

That's my attitude. That's how I intend to develop professionally. And no matter whether I'm sitting in the SID's chair or eventually directing an athletic department, I'll approach my job the same way.

[ptsmith109]

Once again, on unplugging

This weekend, I'll be making my second Illinois River trip of the year. Cell phone coverage is sporadic up there, and I'll be leaving my laptop at home. 

This one is a short trip, but we'll be spending about a week at the condo up in Michigan for a true "vacation" on the lake before getting back to the regular grind.

One thing I recognize now that I didn't recognize during my first go-around in this business is the need for "mental health" time to help preserve the work-life balance. Having a boss that encourages that has been fantastic.

No doubt about it, this has been the most professionally rewarding year of my career. That is in no small part thanks to the fact that I have finally figured out how to balance the demands of this job with my family life, and have the people who support me in that effort - both at work and at home!

Don't be afraid to unplug every once in a while. It used to be a "normal" thing to see me in my office at 10 p.m. - not anymore. If something gets missed at work, I can usually take care of it the next morning. You can never get that time back with your family and friends. Take it.

Unless you work for a real heel, they're going to support your effort to achieve that work-life balance. Nobody wants a burned out SID. Take it from me, I was once that cautionary tale. I think it took three years away from the business to find out how I needed to prioritize my life. 

Let there be no doubt - I'm glad to be here.

[ptsmith109]

Football season is coming!

[ptsmith109]

On Sounding Boards

There's a lot of value in bouncing ideas off of other people. And one of the things I've done over my time in the business is get a group of people I trust and get them to give me their unvarnished advice - whether it be on a personal issue or a professional issue. 

Their friendship and guidance was especially important to me when I was trying to get back into the business after nearly three years out. Their counsel helped me navigate through the tough waters I faced being an experienced SID, but one who had "missed out" on a lot of the technological revolution that saw social media take a prominent place in our field. 

Thankfully, those same friends have been just as good as I try to work my way through things now that I'm back in the industry.

I don't have all the answers about how to do things - and that's okay.

My AD came in this afternoon with a project for me that I didn't have the first clue about how to approach. Once he laid it out for me, and noted that he didn't want it to be incredibly labor-intensive, he ended with the same question he always wraps up with - "Can it be done?"

My short answer was yes.

My long answer was I didn't have the first idea about how to do it, but I would find out and get him an answer.

And that's where the sounding boards are so critical. I know that there are any number of people who I count among my friends who would know how to do this project, or would know who I should call if they didn't. And that's such a valuable asset in this business.

One of the things I want my coaches, colleagues, and other constituents to know is that I am the type of guy who looks for ways to say "yes". It has at times created extra work for me, but it has also positioned me in a role where I got to do some pretty exciting things that typically wouldn't be available to me. 

It's easy to be the guy that says "yes" when I have a network of friends and colleagues who don't hesitate to share their thoughts and ideas when asked. And for that reason (among many others), I really consider myself thankful for the opportunity I have been given to work in this business. 

Be the guy (or gal) who looks for a way to say yes, and surround yourself with a network of similar people. It will make your life a lot easier.

[ptsmith109]

I decided to try something new...

I decided to do a "Top Ten Moments" feature this year on our athletic website. One item I decided to add to some of the features was the archived audio from the game. We don't have archived audio available for everything... but I think this is shaping up to be a neat little project.

http://athletics.atu.edu/news/Moment10.php

[ptsmith109]

On Professional Development and Profession Development

I have to admit, when I looked at the program for the recent CoSIDA convention, I rolled my eyes when I saw "You Are More Than an SID" in the convention program. 

I did this for a couple reasons: 

1. There's nothing wrong with being "just" an SID. 

2. There still exists a perception among some - albeit a shrinking minority - that SIDs should be seen and not heard. 

I was surprised at the numbers with regard to people seeing the SID role as "essential" when reading the executive summary of the Cryder Reinbold report. Honestly, I was baffled why they were so low. I can understand to a point the lower number within the profession, as it seems that some in our field battle an inferiority complex. Perhaps they work for the 23% of athletic directors who DON'T see the role as essential. 

Regardless, we've got a pretty diverse population within the SID community - there are folks who are devoted to the "art" of athletic communications and couldn't see themselves doing anything else. There are also those who aspire to lead their own department as an athletic director, and see their current role within sports information as a conduit to the AD role.

Both groups need to be encouraged. And while I believe there has been some tremendous improvement in terms of programming that is tailored to the here and now, we stand to greatly benefit the profession by providing content specific to those communications professionals looking to become ADs. Because, as a very wealthy man once said...

"The only way to beat a billionaire is to become one yourself."

-Vince McMahon

Now, as someone who was a pro wrestling fan during my youth, I can tell you that Vince McMahon was referring to his primary competition at the time, Ted Turner's WCW. Turner had more money, and was using that to lure the top stars created by McMahon's WWF. The only way for McMahon to compete was to somehow level the playing field.

We as SIDs also have to somehow level the playing field. We may not ever be able to completely beat back the nearly one-fourth of people in the AD role that do not see the SID role as essential. But we can certainly join them.

CoSIDA has two primary missions as it seeks to have its profession, organization and membership take its rightful leadership role within the decision-making levels of the intercollegiate athletics community:

If we are looking to empower SIDs, then as an organization we need to make every effort to prepare the members who are looking to move into the AD role to do so. 

One thing that our colleagues at NACDA do that has had a very high success rate is its Mentoring Institute. (http://www.nacda.com/nacda/nacda-mentoring-institute.html) This is one specific area where we would benefit from following the NACDA lead. 

I for one would love to take part in a CoSIDA Mentoring Institute, where we can learn from former SIDs who have advanced into the Assistant AD and AD roles. I think we'd benefit from the free exchange of knowledge that can only come in such a structure.

There's nothing wrong with providing top-notch technical knowledge to our membership. But if our organization can make an investment into the professionals who wish to lead their own athletic departments, and help them learn how to best position themselves for that role, it will benefit the membership at all levels.

At the end of the day, if we are able to move more of our membership into the higher levels of administration, we will be able to get a lot closer to an environment where we won't need to have a panel titled "You Are More Than an SID" because it will simply be self-evident.

[ptsmith109]

We had a little scare this week - Audrey swallowed a coin a couple weeks ago, which according to our doctor is not so rare for 3-year olds... what was uncommon was that the coin got stuck and started causing her some problems. She started spiking a high fever, complaining of a burning sensation in her belly, and for a short time got so lethargic that she wouldn't even talk or stay awake at the breakfast table. A few doctors swore up and down that she just had a nasty bug and all those symptoms were unrelated to the coin. A couple visits to the ER later, nothing was done. However, our old family doctor saw the report from the emergency room and called Stacy after our last visit and said that there was no way the emergency room doctors got their diagnosis right. He fought to get us in to a pediatric GI, and he set up an endoscopy for Audrey on Friday morning.

We found that the nickel that she had swallowed was starting to cut into the lining of her stomach, and her stomach acid had already done a number on the coin, releasing who knows what into her bloodstream. Fortunately, they got it out and we have a slightly altered souvenir of a pretty scary time. Two days out from the endoscopy, Audrey is back to normal and she is starting to figure out that the pampering she got from Stacy and I was in large part because she was sick, and today interrupted Stacy to say "No, mama, I not all better!" and fake a cough.

With all that said, I can't say enough about the professionalism and care of the doctors and staff at Hurley Medical Center in Flint - the effort they put into making Audrey feel comfortable on what was undoubtedly a scary morning for her was amazing. They also did a fantastic job at keeping her mother and I at ease.

More than anything else, I'm happy that my little girl is back to normal after a little scare. But there were some fantastic people who went above and beyond to not only make sure that happened, but to also make sure that my little girl wasn't scared while it happened. And for that I'm especially grateful.

[ptsmith109]

CoSIDA 13: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Well, another CoSIDA is in the books, and from a professional standpoint, I believe I learned more from the programming at this session than I have learned at any of my previous conventions.

That’s not to say it was all sunshine and rainbows.

In my experience, the combined convention was a positive experience. I had the opportunity to visit with some of the most respected professionals in the industry and get some valuable insights just from striking up a conversation in the line at the hotel Starbucks.

And by the way, I think I may have an ownership stake in the World Center Marriott Starbucks after this week.

Having spent three years out of the business, the last convention I attended was San Antonio. And while much has changed in the years since that convention, much has remained the same. It was great to see old friends and catch up with them. We are members of a fraternity, and it seems to me that time doesn’t weaken those friendships.

With that said, my review of CoSIDA13 - the good, the bad, and the ugly. These opinions are my own.

THE GOOD

1. Overall programming. Kudos to Eric McDowell and crew for putting together some very timely and informative programming. When it came to quality of programming, the convention program crew certainly elevated its game for this year’s event.

2. Academic All-America Hall of Fame. This one just goes without saying. Being able to display one of the best things we do in front of a larger audience is incredibly important.

3. Joint sessions with NACDA. I thought the “State of Intercollegiate Athletics” sessions were hard-hitting and excellent. My only regret is that the sessions weren’t longer - I know that some people didn’t want to ask questions during the media half because they didn’t want to cut Jay Bilas, Dan Wetzel, or Dan Wolken short. The AD session was excellent as well, and John Foley’s session was quite valuable too.

4. New Media and Social Media training. These sessions were valuable no matter what level of institution we serve - from the BCS institutions with armies of beat writers to the small schools who can’t even get their releases printed in a one-horse town’s weekly paper.

5. CoSIDA Hall of Fame. It’s an honor to see some of the best professionals and best people be recognized for the work they have done. I’ll always be glad that I got to see my friend Fred Stabley, Jr. go into the Hall of Fame.

THE BAD (In no particular order)

1. The sparse attendance at the CoSIDA business session. There were fewer people in attendance than at a Detroit Pistons game. We may have had more attendees at the D2SIDA meeting, and that’s no exaggeration. If we want our voices as professionals to be heard, we have to take an interest in “how the sausage is made”. Fault for this falls both on the general membership and on the organization. To the members, take some interest in how our organization is run. If you can’t take the time to be in the business meeting and engaged in the discussion, you’ll never have a say in how CoSIDA advocates for our profession. To the CoSIDA leadership - perhaps the business meeting shouldn’t be held while other events (like the table topics) are taking place. Perhaps it shouldn’t be held from 5:15 p.m.-5:45 p.m., particularly on the day of the only opportunity we’d be allowed to visit the NACDA Exhibit Hall (and I’ll get to that later). The bottom line is this - we are some of the best people in the world at recognizing our audience and tailoring messages to them. We find ways to get the story to people when people won’t come to the story. That’s the nature of our business. So why can’t the actual business meeting of our professional advocacy organization be scheduled for a time when we’d have a better opportunity for higher attendance? To put it another way, when I was the SID at Arkansas-Monticello, we coordinated two football coach hire press conferences at the University of Arkansas System office in Little Rock, nearly 90 miles away from campus. Why did we do that? Because the media wasn’t going to drive through the woods to come to Monticello, and it was important to us that this announcement be as widely covered as possible. We took the story to the media. Rather than burying the business meeting during dinner (or perhaps just as bad, at 8 a.m.), why not have our business meeting in a 10:30-noon window, possibly immediately preceding one of our two luncheons? The business meeting needs to be conducted in a higher-traffic time to encourage as much involvement from the rank-and-file as is possible.

2. Limited access to the NACDA exhibit hall. For people at Division I institutions, I would argue that this isn’t as important. However, as a Division II SID, my role includes operations, marketing, and more, those pesky “other duties as assigned.” The fact that our time in that space was limited to one evening did a disservice to the membership. From numerous conversations with fellow members, that one night’s access cost our organization a pretty penny per member. (Again, more on this later.)

3. The CoSIDA exhibit hall. I would love to see the number of exhibitors this year versus exhibitors in past years. I don’t think that it would be pretty.

THE UGLY 

1. That cost a lot of money. If the World Center had a pay phone, it would cost about ten bucks to make a local call. Yes, that’s an exaggeration. But at around $15 a day to park a car if you were staying on-site (and $15 per time in and out if you weren’t), that adds up quickly. Not to mention the costs of hotel food - and a lot of people went that way, because if you flew in and didn’t get a car, you were looking at a good $40 round trip to take a cab to get to a place where food was served because you certainly weren’t going to be walking anywhere. This in addition to the nearly $200 a night price tag. This certainly adds up quickly. And for a Division II director such as myself, the very limited access to the exhibition hall was a big added issue. I don’t know what kind of food they have in there when they weren’t doing the socials, but that one mixer was one time I didn’t have to drop any money on hotel restaurant food. None of these items by themselves are deal breakers, but it does leave me considering how I am going to handle my registration for next year. Do I stay on site, pay the CoSIDA registration and consider renting a car - or do I bite the bullet and pay for NACDA registration instead, knowing I can hit all the CoSIDA sessions, because I’ll have more access - and opportunities to save money by “grazing” - than I did with the blue lanyard? 

MY FINAL THOUGHTS

All in all, I was very pleased with the programming content and the information presented. When the content was good, it was exceptionally good. 

However, I believe we can get better, and I’d like to be a part of making that better. To that end, I’ve volunteered to serve on committees (have indicated an interest in three in particular). My name is attached to this post, and I don’t intend to lob criticisms from behind a pseudonym. 

We all have varying levels of investment in our organization - and I am confident in the professionals we have serving our organization. My personal goal is to get more out of CoSIDA than I did during my first go-around in the business. Of course, I’m a little older and wiser now than I was then.

But at the end of the day, if we’re going to have a say we need to stand up and be counted. Well, here I am. I’m glad to be here. How can I help?

[gamecocksonline-deactivated2023]

Go inside the game with South Carolina Baseball catcher Grayson Greiner who wore a video camera during the Gamecocks’ 9-3 win over Wofford.

[ptsmith109]

This might be one of the coolest concepts I've seen.

[ptsmith109]

If you're not into the whole brevity thing...

...then you wouldn't want to be a fly on the wall where I'm going tonight.

A couple years back on a trip to Arkansas (I was living back in Michigan at the time), I arranged an informal gathering of old colleagues where we could get together, tell old war stories, and just enjoy one another's company in a more relaxed environment. Everyone had a fantastic time, and we agreed we should do it again. 

That opportunity comes tonight.

This evening, at about 6:30, several current and former sports information directors, perhaps a former coach or two, and some former athletes from our schools are going to get together at Gusano's in Little Rock and tell stories about the good old days. Many of those stories will be from days before I was born, but who cares? It's nice to see some of these names that I only know from my study of the record books come to life. I am fortunate to work in an unreal business with some real characters, and any opportunity we have to get together and have fellowship with these people is a good one. 

I, for one, can't wait.

[ptsmith109]

Work-Life Balance

The balance between professional responsibilities and home responsibilities is one that seems to get crossed frequently in our line of work. And as technology in our field evolves, we frequently find ourselves tethered to our jobs via smartphone or laptop in hours that we might otherwise be devoting to our other pursuits.

I am probably as guilty of allowing my smartphone to infringe upon my personal life as anyone out there. Just ask my wife, she'll be happy to confirm that. More to the point, she'd tell you my habit with my smartphone is no better than someone who smokes a carton of cigarettes a day.

This summer has been an interesting one for me - my wife and children have been on an extended vacation in Michigan for the better part of a month while I have been living the quasi-bachelor life back at home. This was planned out of necessity - the great majority of our families are still in Michigan, and a perfect storm of graduations hit among her siblings. Her youngest brother was graduating high school, her younger sister was graduating college, and her older sister was graduating from the law enforcement academy. 

Needless to say, she wanted to be there for all of them. 

So rather than try to schedule multiple trips on an SID's salary, we decided it would be easier for her and the kids to spend the better part of a month away from home; because while she'd be away from me, she'd still have a pretty large family network to help occupy our kids. And on this end of the equation, it left me with a great deal of down time during the slowest time of the year for an SID.

I decided to take advantage of my "me time" over the Memorial Day weekend and go on an Illinois River float trip and spend some time with old friends. One unexpected benefit for me was that area of Oklahoma has very sparse AT&T cell phone coverage, so for the better parts of three days, I was completely unplugged. The occasional text message could make it through, but I wasn't able to count on any reliable service.

I got a text out to my wife telling her I arrived safely, and wouldn't be able to respond quickly to any texts for a couple days. I threw my phone in my car, and for the first time in ages, I was untethered.

It was everything I hoped it would be. And it made me reflect on how rare the opportunity to truly unplug is in this day and age.

For someone working in athletic communications in this 24/7 media world, unplugging is a luxury that we too seldom afford ourselves. However, it is one that we should make a point to take. It is a small act, but one that can do a great deal of good in balancing personal and professional responsibilities. 

"This above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man." - Polonius, "Hamlet"

Interviewing for a new job can be a stressful experience. In an effort to put our best foot forward, sometimes we tend to shy away from certain things we find important in an effort to remain as attractive to a prospective employer. Cliched platitudes about going the extra mile will be discussed, setting up an often unrealistic standard for an employee to meet. In order to meet that standard, employees will sacrifice items on the personal side, damaging the work-life balance.

We have lost far too many capable and talented professionals due to an inability to keep a proper balance between professional and personal responsibility.

When I have the opportunity to hire someone, I would rather hear an interviewee come in and tell me they have a large amount of outside interests that take up a great deal of their time than hear that they are married to their job.

Whether someone plays golf, fishes, hunts, goes camping, or simply makes time with their family a priority, it will help to keep them mentally and physically fresh. And that, in turn, will result in improved professional performance.

On the flip side, when people don't make time for other interests, they stagnate and eventually burn out. 

I have wasted countless hours of my life staying in my office until 10 p.m., working on media guides that were only read by a handful of people and truly appreciated by the parents of the student-athletes reading them. And while their thank you notes and phone calls may put a smile on our face, they will never replace the feelings we get when we live in that other, far-too-often neglected area of our lives.

That is a priority that we as professionals and as people have to make - to be true to ourselves. Because if we aren't, who else will be? We have to decide exactly how we want to live our lives, and make that a top priority.

It ultimately all comes down to how we define ourselves - I am a husband and father first, and a professional second. And being true to myself on this very crucial issue has made round two of my career in intercollegiate athletics far more enjoyable and successful than round one. And I know that if I can make it a point to put the phone down, this wonderful life will just continue to get better.

Now if you'll excuse me, it's time to go home.