Voices of Trinity athletics, James hill and Justin Parker
For this issue of The Trinitonian, we decided to take a look at the voices of Trinity athletics. Have you ever wondered who announces Trinity’s athletic events? Have you ever wondered how Trinity’s statistics and records are kept? We sat down for a Q&A with two Trinity alumni working behind the scenes in the athletic department.
James Hill, assistant to the director of athletics, Trinity Class of 1976
James Hill introduces the Hardin-Simmons soccer players as they run onto the field on Saturday. Photo by Sarah Cooper.
What all does your position entail?
“I do public address for as many Trinity events as I can. I’ve announced all sports at one time or another. This last week, we had our cross-country opener and I was actually the starter and got to shoot a pistol and announce the top finishers. I’ve even announced golf but primarily the sports that I do most are soccer, football, basketball, volleyball, baseball, softball, tennis and track and field.”
What brought you back to Trinity?
“Being a Trinity graduate. I was a speech and drama major, before they renamed the departments. I wanted to work in radio, but I was also interested in reporting and public radio. I have a long history embedded with Trinity —it’s my home. I worked other positions. I worked with the San Antonio Spurs for years in sales and game day management, and I worked with the now-defunct San Antonio Light newspaper, full-time and part-time. Also, I still do some writing for the San Antonio Express-News, once in awhile, with the Trinity schedule permitting. I was delighted to come back.”
What do you enjoy most about your work?
“I really enjoy announcing because I am so proud of the student athletes here. They work hard. They are very nice and they are very appreciative, and the coaches are too and our administrative staff. It’s very fun for me. There are long days but it is worth it because I am working to promote our student athletes and expose them to the broader community.”
Justin Parker, assistant athletic director and sports information director, Trinity Class of 1999
Justin Parker captures the soccer game on Saturday against Hardin-Simmons via video. Photo by Sarah Cooper.
What all does your position entail?
“The easiest way to describe it is public relations for the athletic department. My wife says that I watch sports for a living, which I don’t like to argue with. I keep up with maintenance and running of the Trinity athletics website, keep statistics for all the sports, record keeping, media relations, some of the social media for the entire department. I deal a lot with photography. I schedule photographers and handle their budget and also handle recruiting brochures and webcasting events.”
How did you get involved in sports information while you were at Trinity?
“I was in my senior year and into the first part of my fifth year and like any senior, I’m looking for what I want to do with my life, what job I want to look at, maybe a graduate degree. I had been doing student work in sports information for about a year and a half and I really enjoyed it. So, when I heard the sports information director was leaving, the first thing I did was ask him, “What else do you do besides what I help you with?” It sounded fun to me. I could be a part of sports. I’ve always been a sports fan growing up, played sports in high school, so it was a unique way to stay involved in sports and do something I really enjoyed.”
What has kept you at the school for the last decade?
“I think I’ve just been happy as soon as I got into it. You always think, wouldn’t you want to go to a Division I or Division II, maybe do a similar job at UT or A&M or do something with the Spurs or anything else locally? But I’ve always been happiest here and can’t imagine leaving for a similar job just because I went to Trinity. My heart is with Trinity and part of the reason why it’s so enjoyable is because we’ve been able to have such a high amount of success. It’s a lot easier to write about teams who are successful than teams who are not.”
