ST. LOUIS – Several members of the Harris-Stowe State University athletic administration were able to attend either the National Association of Collegiate Directors (NACDA) or one of its affiliate conventions in Las Vegas, Nevada, from June 26^th-28^th. With the exception of Director of Sports Information, La'Monica Scott, everyone attended the NACDA convention.

Scott attended the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) convention. There were so many intriguing sessions that it was nearly impossible to decide what to attend. Essentially, Scott attended the Name, Image & Membership Branding Panel/Member Feedback forum. This session expounded on more details for NLIs and the way they affect the current market for requirement and what it means for the SID. Particularly, it spoke on becoming more inclusive and creating a diverse environment.

She also attended the SideArm Sports session inside the CoSIDA exhibit hall. During this session, the representatives from CoSIDA spoke on the changes and updates being rolled out for everyone that has a SideArm powered website. This was very important because Harris-Stowe is a SideArm school and changes and improvements are released at convention first. Scott also attended the Feature Speaker: Using Disruption to Your Advantage. This session featured Jennifer Davis, the Chief Marketing and Communications Officer (CMO) for Learfield IMG College. She was able to lead a discussion on turning distractions into production.

It was also great to attend a forum on Women in Leadership: How to Thrive, not Just Survive. This was a phenomenal experience as women in the athletic field discussed their struggles and the rise of their careers in athletics. The final speaker for the night was Former U.S. Secretary of defense, Dr. Robert M. Gates. He was shared insight into his career and some of the things he experienced. This served as motivation and a roadmap on how to avoid pitfalls. He provided a great dialogue about leadership, having a strong team, getting feedback and how he handled very critical situations.

Scott attended the NAIA breakout sessions. The first session of the morning consisted of the divisional opening. The officers were introduced for the next year. In the second session, the new board was introduced at which point she volunteered to serve on the publications committee. The Records and History session was very informative for the NAIA SIDs. The SIDs learned how to build better records and history for the programs.

NAIA breakouts also featured a session on graphic design and social media. This was to assist with content for social media. It covered a vast subject in 30 minutes. The mental health tips were well needed because it encouraged boundaries and creating personal space away from the office. The final NAIA session was the NIL and the SID. This session provided more information on the role of the SIDs and where they fit into the grand scheme of the NIL war. It is simple, SIDs don't seek the deals, they simply tell the story for the masses, the same with everything else in athletic world.

The final session was a joint session with NACDA and the other affiliates and served as the Title IX Celebration panel. As a female in athletics this would have to be my favorite as we celebrate 50 years since the landmark decision.

Switching gears to the NACDA side of things, the sessions were truly beneficial for the administrative team. The team was educated on the importance of having the staff, software, and strategy in place.

The Meet & Greets and connecting with like mined individuals from diverse backgrounds was priceless and a great investment. Overall, the conventions were a success and the HSSU athletic administration returned to St. Louis with an abundance of knowledge and ideas for the future of athletics.