After graduating from Utah Valley University in 2015,
Tim Castaneda’s first job was at Longwood University as athletic communications staff assistant during the 2015-16 academic year. He then went back to his alma mater, Utah Valley, as assistant sports information director for two years (2016-18). He then served as a UNLV graduate assistant while earning his master's degree before assuming his current role as assistant director of strategic communications where he is the primary contact for women’s soccer, men’s and women’s golf, and men’s and women’s swimming and diving.
Kentucky State Assistant Athletic Director of Operations/Sports Information
Christian Flowers has been at NCAA Division II KSU the last 16 months, arriving as the sports information director in January 2021. He oversees Kentucky State’s media relations and ticket operations and assists with game operations for the Thorobreds' 12 intercollegiate sports. Flowers previously served at his alma mater, Prairie View A&M University, where he was assistant to the sports information director and worked in media operations for the Houston Texans.
Andrea James is in her 18th year at NCAA Division III Carnegie Mellon University, serving as associate sports information director. She is the primary contact for men's and women's soccer, women's basketball, men's and women's swimming and diving, and softball and is the liaison for web development and technology. Prior to Carnegie Mellon, James worked at Allegheny College for the 2004-2005 academic year and was graduate assistant at her alma mater, West Virginia Wesleyan College, where she was a softball student-athlete.
A magna cum laude graduate of Otterbein University (2017) as a public relations major,
Maria Slovikovski is in her second year at The Ohio State University, serving as associate athletic communications director. She serves as the primary contact for women’s basketball, women’s volleyball, men’s gymnastics and men’s and women’s track and field, and is a current member of the CSC Professional Development and Education Committee. Slovikovski previously was athletic communications assistant director at St. Francis (Pa.) and an assistant SID and intern at Miami University (Ohio).
I wish I could snap my fingers and become an expert at …
Castaneda: Surfing. It's been something I've wanted to learn how to do for a while now, but I've ended up with injuries the last few times I planned to try it out.
Flowers: I would become an expert at computer coding, as our lives use some sort of computing every day. Being an expert in coding could be very impactful to the improvement of many lives.
James: Construction
Slovikovski: Speaking every language. It would be amazing to be able to effectively communicate with everyone I came in contact with.
The spring semester clock is winding down … tick tock … tell us one thing/lesson you’ve learned this year in your athletic communications role …
Castaneda: How valuable it is to have a great team you can rely on to provide additional support with duties related to the teams I work with. Coming from smaller departments, I used to pride myself on doing everything myself. Since I've been at UNLV and we've assembled a decently-sized intern group, I've come to realize how much time and energy is saved — especially during crossover season — by having them help with tasks like making gameday or preview graphics, gameday posts or even writing a preview release.
Flowers: Taking care of our mental health is critical to success in both our personal and work life. When things get overwhelming, take a few minutes to yourself; this can mean stepping out the office and taking a walk, or finding somewhere on gameday that you can refocus and attack the problems at hand with clarity. Don’t be afraid to take a day off and just relax stay away from your emails and work as much as possible.
James: I learned to lean on others a little more. In past years, I wanted to be in the middle of everything and do a lot on my own. This year, I made it a point to realize I didn’t have the capacity for that and decided to let others take on some of the responsibilities I’ve enjoyed over the years.
Slovikovski: This past year, I learned that as you become more experienced in the industry, the tasks that used to challenge you become less daunting and there is always something new to challenge you. With new responsibilities come new challenges, and that's one of the many things that help keep our world exciting.
Looking ahead, what kinds of planning do you intend to do to prep for the 2023-24 academic year?
Castaneda: I want to create a detailed calendar to completely map out all the content I plan to post throughout the year as the communications representative on our athletic department's diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging committee. Doing so will allow me to devote more attention towards coming up with more engaging content in this specific role. If anyone is on a committee that comes with additional content creating duties and feels like dealing with your sports takes attention away from that during the academic year, I recommend doing the same.
Flowers: Get ahead as much as possible, we have begun compiling tentative rosters and schedules of our fall sports in the back end of SIDEARM so that when things are official, we will be ready to go. We also are creating an outline/timeline plan of our upcoming sports so that we can be better prepared and more efficient during the season. Having interns is important. Kentucky State has some of the most talented and hardworking students, and summer is the perfect time to seek new interns!
James: I plan to do more professional development from home because it was hard to fit it in during the academic year; when I wanted to try something, there wasn’t enough time for tutorials. I also plan to talk to our coaches again before most of them depart for the summer to see what kind of strategies we can put in place for next year. I’ll do the usual historical records updates and try to curate some feature content so I don’t feel as time-strapped each month to produce something.
Slovikovski: Though this school year isn't over yet, our department has already started preparing for next year by starting conversations with other departments about ticketing, marketing/promotions, game programs and more. The earlier you start planning for next year, the more time you give yourself to exceed your goals. Starting now allows you to take control of achieving those goals instead of leaving the timeline up to others when they are already busy and then wondering why you didn't meet the deadline as a group. Summertime moves quickly as everyone takes time to themselves throughout the down time and the next school year will quickly be upon us if we don't start planning now.
Proudest professional accomplishment?
Castaneda: It's not so much an accomplishment, but working the NCAA Men's Basketball Regional which was held in Las Vegas for the very first time with UNLV as the host institution was a proud moment I'll never forget. From growing up just watching March Madness to now being there in person around programs like UCLA, Gonzaga, Arkansas and UConn throughout the week, it all came full circle.
Flowers: Being selected to serve on the MOAA HBCU Committee along with participating in the MOAA and Learfield Edge Academy. Being one of the 16 individuals selected for the Academy was an honor and the knowledge and wisdom received during the Academy was life changing and significantly helped me professionally.
James: This is ongoing, but I’m proud of the feature writing I’ve been able to do because I didn’t enter this business as a writer. I’ve really enjoyed the opportunity to get to know the student-athletes for more than their athletic ability and when a student appreciates the chance to be featured and celebrates the final product, I feel the work put in makes a difference.
Slovikovski: My proudest professional accomplishment would be the numerous NCAA Championship, NCAA Tournament and conference championship events that I've had the opportunity to host. I'm proud of being able to display the best that the school I work at has to offer and having more eyes on the extra work that I put into these events.
Summer is right around the corner – what’s your favorite summertime/vacation activity?
Castaneda: I love heading back home to Mt. Shasta, California (a small but mighty northern California town) and going camping at one of my hometown's lakes called Lake Siskiyou. I love being at beaches as well, and I'm fortunate to have family in Hawaii that I can visit and get my toes in the sand on the Island.
Flowers: My favorite summertime activity is playing golf, catching some Cincinnati Reds games and catching up with friends and family.
James: My summers usually revolve around a sports schedule — one I get to be a true fan of instead of thinking about how I would write a recap or post photos and videos in a timely fashion. My favorite summertime activity is traveling to different states to watch my sons play soccer or my husband coach.
Slovikovski: I enjoy spending summertime outdoors. Working in athletics communications comes with many hours in the office and inside sports venues during the school year, so I like to take time to myself, get fresh air and spend time with friends and family. It sounds simple, but so many fun activities come from being outdoors — bonfires, kayaking, recreational sports, hiking, going to the beach or a pool, seeing new places — the possibilities for outdoor activities are endless.
What do you have planned for THIS summer?
Castaneda: I always play it by ear without planning things in advance, but visiting family is always at the top of my list. I have family in some pretty scenic places in California, Hawaii, Colorado and Washington, so I see myself going to see them. I may also try to get back up to Utah and get some hiking in.
Flowers: Take a small breaks while staying on top of work. Attend the #CSCUNITE23 and NACDA conventions in Orlando. Play a few rounds of golf and visit some new places.
James: I feel like I have more freedom to take walks in the morning or even midday without the pressure to get work done. I’ll read more and travel a bit with our family’s soccer activities. And I hope to visit my college teammates and their families since I haven’t seen them for a few years.
Slovikovski: I'm thankful for the opportunity to attend my first College Sports Communicators UNITE convention in June!! Also looking forward to spending quality time with those close to me. I don't take too much time for myself during the school year and am welcoming the opportunity to unplug and enjoy great company.
Who would you most like to swap places with for a day?
Castaneda: Iron Man. He's my favorite Avenger and what got me hooked on the MCU. Plus, it would be pretty awesome to spend a day flying around in one of those high-tech suits.
Flowers: Tiger Woods
James: A labor and delivery nurse
Slovikovski: Honestly, I've never thought of this before and it's really difficult to choose. I'd want to switch places with either one of my ancestors or a famous celebrity. An ancestor would be neat to switch with to see how life was in my family long before I came into this world, but it also would be interesting to be able to perform or act for a day and see how celebrities live their lives.
My go-to meal to cook is …
Castaneda: Chicken fajitas. I found a recipe on YouTube a while back that I've mastered and can make without looking at the instructions. I also make tacos al pastor on special occasions which has earned me some acclaim from the family members and friends I've cooked for!
Flowers: My go-to meal to cook is chicken breast in the air fryer with the steamed vegetables that you warm up in the microwave.
James: Salmon and shrimp with rice and broccoli
Slovikovski: I enjoy making my own meatballs (stuffed with cheese!) because you can't go wrong with spaghetti and meatballs. But as much as I enjoy cooking, I really love baking!! My go-to dessert to bake is banana bread. Growing up, my grandma shared her passion for baking with me and I try to carry on the tradition. Whenever I bake, I think of her.
This or that: Dogs or cats?
Castaneda: Cats. One hundred percent. That's all we had in my household growing up. Dogs have grown on me over the years though.
Flowers: Dog!
James: Definitely NOT a dog person
Slovikovski: Dog
This or that: Wash the dishes or dry the dishes?
Castaneda: Neither. I've always lived in places that have a dishwasher. But when I cook I'll do both out of necessity for the dirty pots and pans I use.
Flowers: Wash
James: Dry the dishes
Slovikovski: Wash
This or that: Shopping in store or delivery?
Castaneda: Delivery. My apartment complex has Amazon hub lockers for packages, which is super convenient because I never have to worry about my stuff being left at the door for long periods when I'm not home.
Flowers: Delivery
James: Shopping
Slovikovski: Shopping
This or that: Would you rather be rich in money or rich in knowledge?
Castaneda: Knowledge. However, I recently saw a TikTok where somebody mentioned how they want to be rich in memories. So taking a page out of that person's book, I'll switch gears and say I'd rather be rich in memories.
Flowers: Rich in knowledge, as knowledge is power!
James: Rich in money because I equate money with time and opportunity. The opportunity to spend more time with family and have the time to learn, research, read, and study, to become rich in knowledge.
Slovikovski: Rich in knowledge — and relationships!