There’s more to a team than its players. Someone needs to provide water to keep the athletes hydrated. Someone has to keep track of mile times or goals scored or points earned. Someone should know what equipment is needed for every game, match or meet. That someone happens to be a manager who volunteers time for any of the sports offered here at Blue Valley Southwest.
Managers have a number of reasons to do what they do. Some do it to hang out with friends, some do it because of an injury preventing them from participating in the sport and some just do it for the free T-shirt.
Girls can manage a boys sport and vice versa. For example, sophomore Skyler Yee is the manager of girl’s volleyball. He does it because there isn’t a boys volleyball team offered at Southwest.
“Managing gives me a chance to scrimage with the team and help out with a sport I really like, ” Yee said. “I learn more about the game and have a lot of fun doing it.”
Yee helps after school for about an hour and in that time he tosses and shags balls while helping scrimage.
“The team’s nice and I enjoy working with them,” he said.
While Yee is inside to help after school, some managers find themselves in the blazing heat to manage their sport.
Sophomore Madi Kupchin manages the boys’ football team with some of her friends. Instead of staying in refreshing air conditioning, she has to carry coolers of water outside and put up the player’s pads. Each day she spends three hours after school, except for game days.
Despite the heat, Kupchin enjoys managing and finds that the guys are appreciative of what they do.
“I like managing because it is time to spend with friends, and a way to get involved in school activities,” Kupchin said.
Volleyball and football aren’t the only sports with managers to help. Soccer and cross country too have some managers around to help out.
Junior Jenae Hicklin choses to manage soccer with her free-time.
“Soccer is one of my absolute favorite sports,” Hicklin said. “Managing is something fun for me to do, and gets me involved with our school.”
Athletes and coaches put in many long hours preparing for their sports. They’re at all the practices and all the games. But don’t forget, the managers are there too.