New Shelby athletic director Bennett Sinner may be young - he completed his basketball playing career at Aquinas College in 2024 - but when he was pursuing his new job, he took note of the presence of a lot of lifers in the athletic department. The Tigers boast longtime coaches like Rick Zoulek, Sarah Wolting and, prior to their recent retirements, Phil Fortier and Brian Wright. Sinner liked that a lot.
“Our long-term coaches, it’s a testament to what they pour in to the school,” Sinner said. “When they’re locked in, they’re locked in. I was looking for something I can pour into, stick around and bleed purple.”
Sinner found it, being selected to replace the retired Chuck Persenaire - another Tiger lifer - as AD. He said his first day on the job was July 1.
Sinner is a West Michigan guy, having played at Tri-Unity Christian before joining the Aquinas Saints. He was golf coach at Tri-Unity the past six years, overlapping with his basketball playing career, was athletic director at West Michigan Lutheran, and also spent last basketball season on the Grand Rapids Community College basketball coaching staff. He, new wife Delaney and their dog Hazel are working on moving to Grand Haven, which will be roughly the halfway point between their jobs (Delaney is a teacher in the Hudsonville district).
Despite the contrast between Grand Rapids-area life and small-town Oceana County, Sinner said he felt like the area was summoning him to be part of it when he went through the interview process.
“To be frank, the community was calling to me,” Sinner said. “(I loved) the beautiful drive up US-31 and shaking hands with everyone on the hiring committee as I went through the interview process. The people here were really genuine with their questions and concerns and I found myself fitting in the role, so it was a no-brainer for me.”
Another big draw to becoming athletic director at Shelby was the timing, coming right as the district opened the new Tiger Athletic Community Center (TACC). The new building will bolster the ability of several Shelby programs to pursue offseason activities and give ones that could be affected by weather during their seasons a better place to practice inside.
“Any time a facility of that stature is built in a school district, you see a huge boost in overall athletic morale,” Sinner said. “In those winter months, we know how gloomy it can be outside, so to have a facility where kids can practice outdoor sports, field ground balls, or play soccer on a turf field, it makes a world of difference. Having those opportunities for our athletes will equip them better for a season and put our teams in better positions to win.”
Sinner isn’t focused solely on the Tigers winning, though, saying he hopes to help Shelby students accomplish whatever goals they are aiming to achieve.
“Obviously winning is the pinnacle of what you want, but we don’t judge success only on that,” Sinner said. “We’re building solid students that are ready to go into the workforce or into college. I’d love to see more college athletes come out of Shelby with the avenues they have for reaching those goals...If their goal is to win a district championship, I want to help them reach that goal. If they want to play in college, Division III, NAIA, Division II, Division I or any of those levels, I want to help them find those avenues.
“I’d say everyone is working their tails off to get the best possible experience for our students. For me it’s a big deal, getting students the best possible experience in the classrom and on the athletic field. I’m big on experiences, and I want to give our kids the best ones possible.”
