Behind the scenes of every meet, match and practice are the ever important team managers. These students help make sure that coaches and athletes can do their jobs well by taking care of the minor details.
The duties of managing vary drastically for each sport. Some managers keep stats; others run the clock, but all of them strive to ease the duties of the coaches and athletes.
“We help score, keep records and run the clock at the meets, but in practices, we make sure everything for the program is organized and together, such as uniforms and things like that. We really work closest with the coaches to make sure their job is easier,” said wrestling manager Katelyn Moats.
Since managers work closely with coaches, they create bonds with them or strengthen relationships.
“I actually decided to become a manager because I had the coach as a teacher a few years ago and he was really funny. He asked my friend and I to manage, so we decided to help him out since we already knew him so well already,” said basketball manager Camryn Cowperthwaite.
Managers tend to become much more involved in the sport than they had planned to be. There is no prerequisite information required to manage a sport.
“It takes a lot of strength and endurance, and I give a lot of credit to the guys that do it because you have to be really dedicated and focused. Other sports are hard in their own way, but wrestling involves a ton of mental stamina along with the physical strength. Out of all the sports I’ve played or watched, wrestling involves the most commitment. You have to put in so much effort inside and outside of practice, while at the same time making sure you stay at a certain weight,” said Moats.
Managing a team requires dedication and a desire to help out.
“People think it’s really easy, and it’s definitely not difficult, but it is a time commitment. You have to be there for meets, practices and games. It’s a lot, but I really love doing it,” Moats said.