Former SID Kambel will always remember Lions

On Dec. 12 of last year, Danny Kambel officially resigned his position as Sports Information Director at A&M-Commerce to take up the same role at the University of Wisconsin- Plattville.

Kambel, who came to work for the athletics department in June of 2006, said the most difficult thing for him in making this decision was the reasoning behind it, since he took the new job knowing it would take him closer to his family.

"At any job that I've ever worked, my coworkers have always been my family, but not in the actual biological sense of the word," he said. "So the opportunity to be closer to my biological family; aunts, uncles, cousins, and be able to do the same job I'm doing here at another institution, it's the best of both worlds in my mind. Every move I have made has been professionally driven. To take a move personally made it the most difficult."

While working for A&M-Commerce, Kambel was responsible for relaying information about all the Lions athletics programs to the media and public. This required he work closely with the coaches and student athletes at A&M-Commerce, and he said leaving them was another reason this location change is difficult to undertake.

"With this job, I have everything I've ever wanted," he said. "I have great student athletes, great coaches, great coworkers. My happiest days are around my student athletes and my coworkers. I never feel like I'm overwhelmed, or I don't have this or I don't have that. The support I have from everyone around me makes my job that much more fun."

He said one of his fondest memories from working in Lions athletics will always be the women's soccer team's trip to the NCAA tournament in 2008. At the time, Kambel was dealing with the passing of his aunt but found comfort in the team and their efforts on the field in the third round game.

"Yes, I missed the first two rounds of the tournament," he said. "But, to be able to see that game, call it on the radio, which I had never done before. They left it out on the field. Yeah, we lost, but I'm not going to remember that loss. I was happy to enjoy that experience with them, to see them compete and give 110 percent."

Another fond memory for Kambel is the women's basketball team's 2007 trip to the NCAA tournament, in which they unexpectedly reached the elite eight.

"It was winning four games by less than 10 points, being the underdog the whole time," Kambel said, "and then when we finally win having to think ‘Oh, I can't be in the picture. I have to take it.' I had the girls of that team sign that picture and just had it framed today. That picture will mean a lot to me."

Kambel said he has been able to build strong relationships with the people he saw almost everyday, not just at the university, but in the surrounding town as well.

"It has become a family to me," he said. "When I'm walking in to the repair shop for my truck, I'm seeing Tony from the doughnut shop or the guy who works at Subway. Only because I'm the guy that goes there for lunch, they have become a part of who I am."

Kambel said he had no say in who will be replacing him, but did have one tip for the new sports information director.

"The person coming in, they could have the greatest statistician, web designer, graphic designer," he said, "but they have to understand this is a community that wants to be a family. That's what I'm going to miss the most."

Also, Kambel said he has no plans on forgetting the university he served for over four years.

"I'm going to be following A&M-Commerce just like I've followed any of my other past institutions," he said. "I don't lose sight of what was there."