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CoSIDA.com/ThankYourSID
This feature is part of our series of profiles showcasing members throughout the CoSIDA membership during the celebration of CoSIDA Membership Recognition Week for 2019. See more features at CoSIDA.com/ThankYourSID.
Marissa Avanzato – Texas A&M University, Assistant Director, Athletics Communications
by Rob Knox, Towson University, Associate Director of Media Relations // CoSIDA Past President
Marissa Avanzato is living out her dreams working at a Power 5 school. In May of 2019, she joined the Texas A&M athletics department as Assistant Director of Athletics Communications and is primarily responsible for working with the Aggie volleyball and softball programs.
She has benefitted from attending the 2017 NCAA Emerging Leaders Seminar and being a CoSIDA/NCAA Inclusion Convention Grant recipient during her career. A former softball student-athlete at NCAA Division III Worcester State University in Worcester, Mass. and an honors student majoring in communications and business administration, Avanzato enjoys going on the road and bonding with the coaches and support staff. She loves getting to know her student-athletes and turning any possible moment into a photo shoot.
Marissa with her family, l to r: brother Nick, mother Marianne and father Joe.
You recently changed jobs, moving from East Tennessee State to Texas A&M. Can you describe the process of when you knew the time was right?
I’ve always dreamed of working at a Power 5 school. Something about the fans and the big football environment - I’ve just always been drawn to it. I remember you, Rob, texting me to tell me a job opening. Ironically, it’s the one I’m in now here at Texas A&M! At the time, I was looking to move closer to home and thought I wasn’t interested in moving to Texas. The next day, I was on a women’s basketball trip and received an email from Texas A&M hiring managers, asking if I’d be interested in the position. I immediately called my parents and talked it over with them and we agreed it had everything I wanted – covering the sports I was interested in at a school in the SEC and above all, the Power 5 status I was looking for. At this point in my career, I had three years of experience and a master’s degree.
The Texas A&MN Aggie Volleyball team’s selfie at Churchill Downs this fall.
What tips can you share about navigating the transition?
I’ll be completely honest, when I first started, I was terrified. I felt like I was completely starting over (which I was) and I remembered how I felt during my first year of my graduate assistantship at ETSU. It’s hard being put into a new setting and learning how differently things are run. I was about a month in my A&M position when I attended the CoSIDA convention this past June. Everyone kept asking me how I loved my new job. I’m pretty sure every answer was me telling people how overwhelmed I was, but I navigated this transition by asking questions.
At CoSIDA, I met with a lot of people and asked them how they navigated their transitions and basically everyone told me they first felt overwhelmed when they first started out. I’m so thankful for the CoSIDA community and the mentorship program. (Syracuse’s) Olivia Coiro was my mentor last year and helped me through my entire interview process and I can’t thank her enough for all the advice and tips she gave me. My new mentor this year, Theresa Kurtz (Mountain West Conference) always checks in on me and helps me through any questions I have as well. My best tips are to ask questions and rely on this amazing CoSIDA community we have. We’re all willing to help each other.
Avanzato competed on the Worcester State University softball team while an undergraduate.
Speaking of support, do you have any key mentors or people who deeply influenced who you are, what you believe in and what you’re committed to in your work and life? Tell me about them.
My older brother Nick has always been my role model. I’ve always admired his hard work and determination to chase after what he loves. Nick currently works for the New York Yankees in their player development office as Assistant Director, Minor League Operations, and has always had a passion for sports, specifically baseball. Nick knew exactly what he wanted to do, where he wanted to go to school and had a plan for how he was going to get there. As for myself, I was so confused. I changed my major three times throughout college and thanks to Nick, he would always help me navigate and figure out the best classes I should take after switching so many times.
I remember coming home for the holidays or for school breaks and Nick would drill me with questions with what I wanted to do with my life. I never knew and always dreaded when he asked. While playing collegiate softball at Worcester State University (Ma.) and staying busy in the athletic department as a student worker, I knew I wanted to do something in sports, but still wasn’t one-hundred percent sure what that was. I thought I wanted to follow in his footsteps and work in professional sports, but then it finally hit me during my senior year of college that I was interested in sports information. (Shout out to my SID at the time, Nikki Narducci, for letting me shadow her and for allowing me to work around my crazy hours of being a student-athlete!) I truly cannot thank my brother enough for the role he’s played in my life. He’s been an amazing brother, mentor and friend and someone I can always count on.
As pitcher for Worcester State, Avanzato poses with the 2016 MASCAC Conference softball championship trophy.
Is there an achievement or contribution, professional or personal, that you are most proud of?
To be honest, last November I suffered emotional abuse from a coach. I was so unhappy and at that point in time, I didn’t know if I was capable of finishing out the school year – meaning losing my master’s degree, which I worked so hard for. For a while, I didn’t tell any colleagues about it because I felt embarrassed since everyone in this business works with difficult coaches at one point or another in their career. For quite some time, I also didn’t know if I wanted to continue working in this profession. I was terrified of facing this issue again at a different university.
I ended up reaching out to the university’s counseling center. I met with the same counselor each week and I can’t thank her enough for helping her dig me out of the deep, dark hole I was in. I slowly began to feel like myself again and find my happiness back. She helped me find the courage to travel with the team again and stop hiding out in a locker room until the game began.
Since last November, I’ve regained my strength and confidence. I’m the happiest I’ve been in this profession and proud of myself for fighting through a toxic environment and not ever giving up on myself or my career. I can’t thank my family and friends enough for helping me through this time in my life. Despite the crazy work schedule and long hours, this profession has brought me so much joy and at this point in my career, I can’t imagine doing anything else.
Thank you for your honesty in answering that last question. Hopefully, the way you handled that situation will help someone who reads this.
Avanzato with Ole Miss assistant director for communications and fellow volleyball SID Caitie Smith.
What's one communications/social/PR tool that you could not live without and why?
In this day and age, I couldn’t live without my phone and social media. I love social media, but sometimes I still can’t believe how much it takes over our lives. Social media is everything in this business for recruits, fans, parents, etc. At times, I feel like half my job is coming up with ideas or content to post. Luckily, my teams make it easy for me. They are fun and always show me their personalities and cooperate with me every time I say ‘photo op!”. I couldn’t live without it because it plays such an important role in this industry and it makes it fun to follow a team and constantly get behind the scenes action.
Do you have any favorite quotes that you live by?
I’m a big believer in “everything happens for a reason.” When something is not going my way, I just tell myself everything happens for a reason. There must be a reason as to why this happened, and something great is supposed to happen for me. Through the good times and the bad, everything happens for a reason!