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Amiee Sinacola's Big Move
by Laurie Bollig – CoSIDA Director of Membership Engagement
"The biggest similarity (going from NAIA to Power 5 Division I) is being able to work alongside and impact the lives of student-athletes while making their experience the best experience as possible."
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CoSIDA member Aimee Sinacola was happy at Indiana University South Bend doing what every NAIA athletics administrator does – a little bit of everything. Her wife of two years, Lauren, was the assistant women’s soccer coach down the road at Notre Dame. Things got a little crazy when Lauren was offered a head coaching position this summer at Oregon State.
What followed is the story of a professional who said goodbye to one job and the student-athletes she adored, sold a house, moved across the country and capitalized on her strengths and passion (and a bit of fortuitous timing) to start the next chapter of her career.
Your wife got a head coaching job. As two professionals both working in college athletics, you had to think this day would come. How did you prepare yourself for the possibility of making a move – either you for her job or her for your job?
This is something we knew when our relationship started, as we both are extremely passionate about working in college athletics. We both share a common love for impacting student-athletes and being able to give them the best experience possible. This is what makes us a good team.
Through our experiences, we understand the challenges of working in college athletics. We always knew that at any given time an opportunity would arise for one of us, and this summer it meant moving across the country.
This is not the first time we have done this, but we are really excited about this next chapter at Oregon State.
Aimee taking her turn on the trampoline during photo day for gymnastics.
Once you knew you would be moving across the country to follow Lauren, what was on your mind regarding your career? What steps did you initially take to prepare? What did that career component of the move look like for you?
With the timeline of Lauren starting her job, it all happened very quickly. I was able to travel along during the interview process and learn more about Oregon State, Corvallis, and the surrounding communities.
That experience and the welcoming community played a significant part in our decision to move across the country. When we stepped foot on campus, we knew this is where we belonged after meeting other employees in the athletic department. Neither of us have lived in the Pacific Northwest, and that was also something we looked forward to.
Once Lauren accepted her position, I immediately started working on my application documents in case a job opportunity came about. In the meantime, I stayed behind in Indiana to sell our house and finalize things at IU South Bend.
Despite not having a job, I felt like a member of the OSU community from the beginning with how inclusive everyone was to both Lauren and me. When I discovered there was a job opening in the sports information department before I had officially moved to Oregon, I didn’t hesitate to apply.
So, you’re now on staff at Oregon State. Tell me how that came about. Interview? Job description? Were you nervous? Was this your “dream” scenario and how did you prepare yourself mentally to consider different options?
A couple weeks after Lauren started her job, I heard about a few postings in the athletics department, and I immediately applied. We have had experiences working at the same university and separate institutions during our lifetime, but when this opportunity came available, we were lucky enough for it work out.
In the back of my mind, I started to consider other opportunities, but my process with Oregon State happened quickly that I didn’t need much time to explore another position. I wouldn’t say it is a “dream” scenario, but we are very fortunate to have a professionally supportive department who believes in both of us. We both put our faith in the process and believed that the right job would come around.
You were the head SID at an NAIA school. You are now an assistant in communications at a Power 5 school. Differences? Similarities? What will you miss? What won’t you miss?
The biggest similarity is being able to work alongside and impact the lives of student-athletes while making their experience the best experience as possible.
I believe that my responsibilities in sports information go beyond just the sports I cover, and it involves more than just releases, game notes, game programs, etc. My job is to develop a working relationship with my student-athletes that helps enhance the holistic collegiate experience along with the entire student-athlete population at OSU. Having been the head SID at IUSB will impact and help me here.
One of the things Lauren and I enjoy the most about Oregon State is the family atmosphere, which something people might not expect at a “Power 5” institution. Going back to Lauren’s process, the entire athletics department was extremely welcoming as a community, and we knew it was the right fit for us. Coming from a NAIA school where you have that family atmosphere was something I wanted and needed in my next position.
Although my roles with teams might look a little different now, I am excited to give everything I have for my sports. At IUSB, I functioned more as an administrator and had other duties other than sports information. At Oregon State, I can focus more on my creative side, and that is what I am most passionate about.
Aimee and Olympic gold medalist Jade Carey before a football game.
Not everyone starts a job with a new sport to promote with an Olympic gold medalist joining the team. Talk about your baptism by fire with Jade Carey.
My biggest mantra in my career is treating every athlete and sport the same. Having been a former NCAA Division I athlete, I understand what they are going through on a day-to-day basis. I believe in being myself with them and establishing that level of trust and connection. This then allows me to be better at my job and provides them with the best overall student-athlete experience.
Whether a gold medalist or a walk-on, I want that student-athlete experience to be the best for all.
When I found out that I would be covering gymnastics, I was really excited about working with Jade, and it has been a phenomenal opportunity so far. Very few people get to work with someone coming right off of winning an Olympic gold medal. That experience is only made better by the authentic and real person Jade truly is.
Ironically my first day was the first day Jade arrived on campus, so we share a unique story. I was given about a 10-day timeframe to develop that trust and relationship with her before she left for almost two months with the Gold Over America Tour.
In my role, while I’m also there to help her, I am also there to help her understand what her expectations are for college and what she wants to make out of it. I am looking forward to helping her tell her Beaver story for the next four years.
What do you think best prepared you – how did you set yourself up for success – to make this move? What skills/prep work should other SIDs consider whether it’s moving for a spouse or moving divisions or simply making a major career shift?
Whether it is a career shift and/or making a big move, it is very similar to working in sports information. We need to understand that there will be challenges and that it rarely goes smoothly.
In our jobs we constantly must improvise and problem solve, which is what I did with my situation.
I believe that life is about striving to better yourself by learning new skills and pushing yourself out of your comfort zones. I embrace the challenges that I face and have confidence in my strengths and weaknesses. There is no cookie cutter way to do this job, and I am always molding that mentality around my next job. I am excited for the future with Oregon State.
Lastly, it is imperative to surround yourself with a positive but challenging support system. Lauren and I not only strive to do that in our careers but also our personal lives, and we believe that is what makes us a great team.
Talk about these stories on the CoSIDA Slack Community.