Managers: The Real MVP’s

By: Willow Harrington

Sports events showcase lots of action to the viewers that come to watch. Their eyes are drawn
to the athletes down on the field or court playing their hardest, but what about behind the
scenes? Managers are always there, helping the athletes and coaches in more ways than you
know.

A lot of things the managers do are similar among all sports. They do the nitty-gritty things and
the big hassles. They do the things nobody wants to do, or the things people think aren’t
important.

“The managers make sure everything around practice and meets are taken care of so the
coaches and wrestlers can focus on what we need to do to improve. They clean the mats,
organize our uniforms, and help make sure we have the things we need during practice like
nose plugs, wipes, etc,” said wrestling coach Mike Buschman. “On meet days, they keep book,
distribute uniforms, and communicate line-ups with the other team. Some of the more
experienced managers have even started to pick up some technique points about the sport.”
Across the board, every coach loves to have the help that managers provide; otherwise, the
load gets dropped on them.

“Having a manager most certainly does help the teams. They make the coaches’ lives a lot
easier,” said football coach and athletic director Mike Zehner. “Their jobs are not easy. I know
this; because as a head coach, I have to make sure those duties are all taken care of when we
do not have a manager.”

Even though you don’t see managers out there competing, they are still a key part of the team.
“I consider the manager to be a part of the team because they do so much, just so the team
can play and have water,” said volleyball manager, sophomore Gyanna Lewis. “The manager
pushes so hard just to make their team and coaches happy.”

“I consider a manager to be someone who is almost like a student coach with what they help
out with,” said football coach Austin Foust. “Which is why managers get varsity letters.”
A lot of the time, the work that the managers put in goes unnoticed or unappreciated. That is
something that is hard for everyone, but they still do it because it helps everyone out.

“For me the hardest part of being a manager is being unappreciated by some of the athletes,”
said girls basketball manager, sophomore Meredith Gordon. “Now with that being said, some of
the athletes do let me know they appreciate me and the work I do, and those athletes are truly
the best!”

Throughout it all, managers do so much for the teams they are on. Some jobs that the
managers do include: helping at practices to better the players, helping at games with numbers
of jobs, and always showing up willing to do the unthinkable.

“A managing position is a thankless job for sure! They truly hold things together at times,” said
volleyball coach Andrea Berndt. “Coaches and players need to make sure to thank them and
show their appreciation on a consistent basis as they are just as much of an important part of
the team as an actual player.”