• 2016 CoSIDA Special Awards general announcement/release
• Special Awards feature story schedule
by Cindy Potter, Columbia College (Mo.) Associate Director of Athletics
Surprisingly enough, Aaron Sagraves, this year’s Rising Star Award recipient in the college division, has only been in the
Sagraves, left, at a Detroit Tigers game with fellow SIDs from the
WHAC Conference.
sports information business for nine years.
That might come as a shock to most considering everything he has been able to accomplish. Physically he hasn’t moved too far from home, but his outreach spans across the country and he has set the standard for what every small college athletic department aspires to be like with his communication and marketing prowess.
It was in 2004, following graduation from Cornerstone University, that Sagraves took the opportunity to stick around at his alma mater and help coach the women’s basketball team. As a way to help promote the team, he offered to assist in the sports information office and the youngster was quickly bitten by the SID bug. He would go on to help out part-time until 2007 when an opening at the rival school caught his eye and a career quickly took shape.
Sagraves joined the Davenport University staff as assistant director of athletics for communications in the summer of 2007 and very quickly made a name for himself. With 31 programs to cover, he began the tedious work of updating all the history and records before making the biggest impact on the department with a new website design, one that would go on to win top website in the NAIA.
Sagraves assisted in the creation of the Davenport Athletics Network, developed a staff of six, and was the co-chair of the
Sagraves at work, at the ballpark, and with his family - with wife Allison and sons Kenyon and Koleman.
Davenport Scholarship Golf Classic that helped raise over $1 million for student scholarships.
Married with two young boys, Sagraves had made quite the name for himself because of all the fame he had brought to Davenport. However, it was Cornerstone University that had his heart, after all he did fall in love with his wife on that very campus. So when the opportunity presented itself in October of 2014 to make the transition back across town to Cornerstone he did not hesitate. Now in an assistant athletic director role for the Golden Eagles, Sagraves is truly home.
Making the move back to Cornerstone was not an easy decision for Sagraves, but it was a decision that he knew he had to make for his family, his wife, his kids and his faith. They have helped keep him grounded and have been the reason for his success.
"Aaron is incredibly passionate about the work he does,” said Cornerstone Athletic Director Chip Huber. “He loves the games and even more so loves telling the stories of student athletes. He is an incredible advocate for the value of college athletics and a great model of someone using the gifts God has given him to their full potential. He's had a huge impact on our Cornerstone athletic community and we are so grateful for his role in the life of our university."
Throughout the years Sagraves has been very active in CoSIDA as a member of the Academic All-America© committee and is currently serving a three-year rotation on the CoSIDA board. As vice-president of NAIA-SIDA, Sagraves has his pulse on the feel of the profession and is quick to share what he learns.
“He is the first to offer constant feedback regarding rules of the trade and is always looking for new ways to accomplish even the littlest tasks. His passion for the profession is surpassed by none – rising or veteran,” says Dawn Harmon, media coordinator for the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference.
Awards are nothing new for Sagraves. He was the inaugural winner of the Mike Dean Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference SID of the Year award in 2009 and has had numerous publications win NAIA-SIDA awards. In his first year at Cornerstone, Sagraves garnered seven top-10 finishes from NAIA-SIDA Publication contests, including the top award for the Splash Page featuring the Beltline Rivalry (Davenport vs. Cornerstone).
His connection with the younger generation has helped him make a mark in social media. During his seven years at Davenport, Sagraves was instrumental in developing the Panthers' social media strategy and now at Cornerstone, the interaction with followers is clear, present, and swift – allowing them to all feel a part of the family.
"When you want to look at the measure of someone in this field, I always look to see who people reach out to for questions and advice," said Brad Cygan, assistant athletic director for media and communication at Missouri Baptist University. "When you ask people in the NAIA, Aaron is likely at the top of that list."
As if all his work for Cornerstone, CoSIDA and the NAIA wasn’t enough, Sagraves also works for the West Michigan Whitecaps. Not to worry though, Aaron’s wife Allison is quick to remind him to keep a balance in life.
“I can let work completely overwhelm our lives but she keeps me from doing that,” explains Sagraves. “She understands my work and serving student athletes is a HUGE passion and she does everything she can to support me in that. What she does for our family is unreal and I am truly blessed.”