Amanda Lauback

A Little About Me...

I was born and raised in the small town of Owego, NY, but Elmira College has become my home away from home. I am addicted to Post-it notes, The Ellen Degeneres Show, Chili's Grill & Bar and reading Deep Thoughts by Jack Handy. If I could have lunch with one person in the whole world, I think it would have to be Sally O'Malley from SNL. There's just something about her that makes you want to KICK, STRETCH AND KICK! I have been known to do a little impersonating, I just can't help it. I also have been known to tell a bad joke or two. My friends just roll their eyes when they see a joke coming, but at least I think I'm funny. Sometimes they say "you're killin' me Smalls" and that's where my nickname came from. It's from one of my favorite movies The Sandlot, and if you haven't seen it then go out right now and rent it because it's a good one. I also enjoy movies like Dirty Dancing and Old School, a little of everything keeps life interesting you know.

I also have the best family and friends in the world. I have one younger sister, only by a year and a half, that I am very close with. She is currently living in Brazil as a foreign exchange student and I miss her very much. My parents have always been supportive of everything I have been a part of and I am so lucky to know that they will always be there for me. My dad is a professor at Alfred University and my mom owns a toy store in my home town. I am also very close with my extended family, and see them on a regular basis. We love traveling together and just sitting around playing games. Things get pretty intense sometimes around a game table. Some of my best memories are from family vacations to the beach, sitting by the ocean with my sister and cousins.

My Life in Sports...

Growing up, my parents kept both my sister and I very active in outdoor activities. For as long as I can remember, our summers consisted of traveling, camping and hiking and I gained a great respect for the outdoors from my family. The one trip that stands out among my memories was our family trip out west to Wyoming. We got to hike in the Teton Mountains and we stayed in log cabins at their base. It was such a great experience that I will never forget, and I hope to return to the area when I'm older. As I grew up my family and I maintained our interest in outdoor activities such as skiing, canoeing and swimming and I am so grateful that my parents exposed me to these things! Then when I entered middle school and high school I joined the volleyball and swim teams and I loved having an organized team to be a part of. Sports definitely gave me something to concentrate on and an outlet for energy and frustrations! This spring I have also had a chance to give back to the volleyball program that I played for all through high school. I am coaching the travel team that played for and loved so much. The transition from player to coach is an amazing experience that has given me a greater respect for the opportunity for girls to participate in sports. Outdoor activities and sports have played an extremely important role in my life and have given me many options that I wouldn't have had it not been for my parents exposing me to these rewarding activities.