College Sports Information Directors of America

This is the next profile Q and A in a series entitled Communicators Outside the Lines: Better Yourself, Better Your Community produced by the CoSIDA Goodwill & Wellness Committee. Read past profiles at CoSIDA.com/CommunicatorsOTL.

HAVE IDEAS OR MEMBERS TO NOMINATE FOR THIS SERIES? If you have any ideas for this series, which will revolve around CoSIDA member volunteerism and health and wellness, please contact Goodwill and Wellness Committee chair Chris Mitchell, Washington University in St. Louis Assistant AD for Communications, at (618) 560-9280 or mitchell@wustl.edu.

Jay Stancil runs to help raise awareness and funding for the Arthritis National Research Foundation.

Q&A with Jay Stancil

Director of Strategic Sports Communications
Union College (Ky.)

by Tommy Chasanoff – University of the Cumberlands, Sports Information Director

CoSIDA Goodwill and Wellness Committee member

Entering his 20th year in the athletic communications profession, Jay Stancil splits duties as Director of Strategic Sports Communications at Union College in Barbourville, Kentucky, and as the sports information director for the Appalachian Athletic Conference. Stancil is known for giving back to his profession and community — and for being an avid runner. The former NAIA-SIDA president was the 2010 Clarence "Ike" Pearson Award winner. The honor is the highest given by NAIA-SIDA for accomplishments and service performed over a career. He is in his final year of a three-year term serving on the CoSIDA board of directors. When he's not at work, he can be found in his running shoes or supporting his family at their activities. He runs in honor of his mother Gloria and the fight to cure arthritis. He and his wife, Genople, have two children — a son, Jayson, and a daughter, Haylee.

Stancil is in his 20th year at Union College (Ky.)

Q: How do you balance work as an SID/ conference SID / family life and running?

Stancil: I am not going to lie and say I have found the perfect balance, and I won’t even go as far as saying that perfect balance even exists. As it says in Ecclesiastes, “For everything, there is a season.” And this holds true with managing/juggling work as a school and conference SID along with family life and running. There are times when work has to take top priority, and running and family life have to take a backseat. From August to May, that is a lot of the case. Work has to come first with family life and running mixed in when possible.

This past spring was a major challenge for me. In addition to the normal SID work, both of my children were involved in school sports with my son also being a high school senior. I am proud to say that I did not miss any of my kids’ home games except for when they were both going on at the same time. And now that my daughter is playing high school soccer this fall, I’m making every effort to be there for all the games I can.

To find this mythical thing we call ‘balance,’ it boils down to planning and prioritizing. What is important and must be done whether it’s work, running, or a family event, goes atop the list, and everything else comes after that. The work is always going to be there. There is always something to work on, and the idea of being caught up is a myth – at least it is if you’re both a school and conference SID. But family time is fleeting. Your health can be fleeting as well if you aren’t taking care of yourself.

It also helps to have a great and supportive partner in life. My wife Genople is my rock, and she keeps me grounded. When I get into that crazy, busy, vicious cycle at work – also known as crossover season, I rely on her to make sure I’m not missing something at home. When the sports season starts up in August, she asks the same question: “When are you going to be home for dinner this week?” It’s that simple question that helps keep me grounded and not lose sight of what is important.

Q: What advice do you have for SIDs who want to volunteer or become more active but don’t have the time?

Stancil: Start simple. Start out by doing a little something. You do not want to run the risk of biting off more than you can chew, so start by doing one thing. When I started training for my first half marathon, I could not run a mile without stopping. I had to build up to it. And the time race day arrived, I was able to do a 13.1 miles.

The same principle applies to volunteering. Do what you can, but please do. It’s cliché, but it’s true: a little bit helps and matters.

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