What a way to end a magnificent 25-year career as Union's
first full-time sports information director!
Both swim teams won New York State championships, the first time that
has happened in the same year, the men's basketball team earned its third-ever
trip to the NCAA tournament and second Liberty League title after being seeded
fourth in the conference's event, and the women's basketball team played in its
first-ever ECAC Upstate New York championship game.
To add to those highlights, junior forward Brian Scordato connected on a
62-foot three-point field goal, which was not only shown on ESPN's
SportsCenter, it was the No. 3 “Play of the Day.”
Whew!!
When I was hired in July of 1980, it was supposed to be a
revolving door position. The College
expected someone to come in for a couple of years, cut their teeth in the
profession and move on. To ensure that
the person…who thankfully turned out to be me…didn't stay too long, the manual
typewriter that I was given was missing three keys and the drawer on the metal
desk didn't open. I had to go out and
buy my own answering machine and I borrowed an I 400 Telecopier from Hank
Caputo, general manager of the Schenectady Baseball Club.
Now, 25 years later, there are four computers in the sports
information office, voicemail, email, and a fax machine…and if you still can't
get in touch with me…a cell phone.
In 1980 men's basketball and men's soccer were the only
teams that won consistently and the women's teams, which got their start in
1975, were little more than intramural sports whose participants received a
letter. There was no women's soccer,
swimming, crew or ice hockey. On the
men's side, ice hockey was a Division III sport, football had not had a winning
season since 1970 and crew was a club sport.
Boy how things have changed!
Since July of 1980, more than 10,000 combined contests have
produced 43 NCAA Tournament teams in the sports of football, men and women's
basketball, women's volleyball, men and women's soccer, women's lacrosse,
softball, women's cross country, men and women's swimming and men's ice hockey.
Individually, Union has had four national champions, one NFL
draftee, and scores of All-Americans in a variety of sports, countless
All-League, All-ECAC, and All-State honorees, and thousands of Academic
All-Conference and All-Americans.
That is a great deal of success to have been part of during
the last quarter-century. While the
competition has obviously been thrilling, for me, my career at Union goes far
beyond what has taken place on the playing fields, courts, and pools. For me, Union College and Union College
athletics has ALWAYS been about the people.
The student-athletes, their families, the alumni, the coaches, the
Campus Community, the fans and of course, the media.
While it is always risky to name names, especially when
there are so many wonderful people that I have met and worked with over the
last 25 years, I would be remiss not to mention and “thank” some very special
people.
Former Athletic Director Dick Sakala, the man who took a chance
on me all those years a go. Words can't
describe what it has meant to me to have been able to work with him again these
last four months and to end my career the way it started…with Dick Sakala as my
boss, my mentor, and most importantly…my friend!
Lynn Haberland is as close to me as my own sisters. Without President Roger Hull's constant
support and faith in me I would not have made it to this point in my
career. Working with Charlie Casey was
déjà vu all over again as his Dad and my Dad went to medical school
together. Charlie and I went from me
showing him around to him being my boss…and always my friend. Joyce Chabot has been the big sister I never
had and always wanted. Jason Slater and Erik Espana who helpled me develop the athletic web site. Al Hart of the Times
Union gave a 16-year old junior in high school a chance and it turned into
a life-long dream. Bill Arsenault, also
of the TU, has been my racquetball partner and opponent for many wonderful
years, and Bob Weiner of the Daily Gazette is as special to me as my
brothers. As for Connie Hosterman, she
was my high school guidance counselor who helped me get my first writing job
with the weekly Commercial News. After
her retirement, she came to work for me part-time, helping me keep track of
what our student-athletes were doing.
Eric Hornick, Frank Rossi, Rich Romer, Jeremy Newell, and
Cassie Lawton are just a few of my former students who have kept in touch with
me and are part of my family. Sports
Information Directors Dennis O'Donnell, Kevin Beattie, Mike Chilson and Brian
Katten will always be special, as will many of the student-athletes' families
including the Newells, Mike Mosia, the Romers and the Kirvins.
Five years ago, when women's ice hockey and the men and
women's crew teams were given varsity status, I was able to hire a 10-month
assistant. Former assistants Jamie Weir
and Cassie Lawton are now at Harvard, Chris Kirvin is a teacher at Galway High
School, Kimberly Gardner is at UMass, and current assistant, Peter DiSanza, has
a very bright future in this business.
As for the coaches, I have been blessed with the best group
of people to work with throughout my 25 years at Union. While other SIDs complain about this coach
or that coach who is unreasonable, nasty, or abusive, I can honestly say that I
have never had a single coach who treated me, my office, or my student-workers
with anything but respect and appreciation.
The members of our current staff are THE most talented, most caring,
most hard-working group that has been assembled at one time. It has been my privilege to work with and
serve each and every one of them. Most
importantly, I know that each one of them is a friend who cares about me as a
person…just as I care about them.
Finally, Union has allowed me to share my love for this
profession, for these people, and for this school, with my family. My wife, Donna, has traveled with me,
willingly put up with the long hours, late nights and weekends throughout our
relationship. Without her involvement
with the teams and her support for me I would not have been able to last this
long in this profession. My son Dan has
been my “unofficial” assistant for the last 12 years. He has played the National Anthem on his saxophone, worked the
stat crew input, announced, come up with story ideas, written stories, and been
involved with every aspect of the job.
There aren't many other professions that give someone the opportunity to
include family members in very important ways.
And so, as I go to join my wife as she pursues her long-time
dream of working for the Walt Disney Cruise Line, I say,
“Thank you, Union!
Thank you for the friends, thank you for the career, and thank you for
allowing me into your family. You will
always be part of who I am.”
George Cuttita