As we reflect on 9-11, it is a time of remembrance of those who lost their lives tragically in 2001 as well as a time of reflection of the things that matter most in life.
We learned a lot on that day: that we aren't as impenetrable as we once thought, that if we band together as a nation we can get through anything, that the world of terror extends farther than we had thought. Nevertheless, the greatest thing we may have taken away from this tragedy is the respect and appreciation for those unsung heroes in our lives.
As countless police officers and firefighters gave their lives in New York City, we came to appreciate the unselfish giving of their lives for our safety. We came to appreciate those people in our lives who don't get the everyday praise for their work, but work hard for the glory of others.
Well, today I would like to honor college sports' unsung heroes, the sports information directors or directors of athletic media relations as they are known here at ISU.
SIDs work hard all year, for not one sport, but all sports. While most working adults put in Monday through Friday, 8 to 5 days, SIDs put in those hours plus many nights and almost every weekend. "Coaches put in a lot of hours," said ISU women's basketball head coach Jim Wiedie, "but (SIDs) put in more." Often they do so for the salary of most assistant coaches, but are in charge of several sports.
It is the SID who makes sure the athletic program gets the attention and recognition it deserves. Everyone enjoys reading previews in the paper and most credit the paper for taking that initiative, but often it is the SID who calls the newspaper and gives them the information necessary for the article.
That brilliant feature you read on your favorite athlete and how he or she are balancing ROTC with sports and class and still remaining at the top of his or her class? It was probably pitched by the SID.During the game, SIDs are in charge of stat keeping and making sure the media has everything they need, which can sometimes be a pretty large task by itself. Preparing for the game, SIDs work just as hard or harder than even the coaches at times.
SIDs put together game previews and analyze possible story angles for the media and ways to get recognition for their athletes as well as retrieve opponent rosters, stats and other information. The SID will setup the press box, arrange a support staff to run the scoreboard and game clock, and contact local media to make sure they will have a representative available.
At smaller schools such as Rose-Hulman, the SID will even write game stories and send it to the local media outlets when a representative is not present, lest games go uncovered. Often, these stories will go into the paper with a "Staff Report" byline with no credit to the submitting SID.
However, just because SIDs get no credit from us, does not mean they go unnoticed. If assistant coaches are a head coach's right hand, the SID is their left.
"Ace Hunt (the Associate Director of Athletic Media Relations) does a lot for our (women's basketball) program," Wiedie said. "He makes our media guides look great and travels with our team and is someone I really rely on (when we are) on the road.
"He sits at the scorer's table next to me and makes sure I am aware of timeouts and substitutions. He is one of those guys that is a security blanket for me on the road, someone I feel extremely confident about, a guy who is extremely loyal to our program and just invaluable to what we do."
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